Alesker Mammadli required medical attention in court
During a court hearing in Baku, the condition of arrested Toplum TV founder Alesker Mammadli worsened and he requires hospital treatment. A doctor was called to the courtroom.
As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," in September 2024, Alesker Mammadli underwent a medical examination in a Baku pretrial detention center after complaining of pain. Doctors diagnosed him with kidney disease and indicated the need for surgery, but he was not transferred to inpatient treatment. According to his brother, Alesker Mammadli also suffers from asthma attacks due to a thyroid tumor, headaches, and blood pressure surges.
Charged in the Toplum TV case are the publication's founder, Alesker Mammadli; Toplum TV employees Mushvig Jabbar and Farid Ismailov; Akif Gurbanov, head of Toplum TV's partner organization, the Institute for Democratic Initiatives; and institute employees Ruslan Izzetli, Ali Zeynal, Ramil Babayev, Ilkin Amrakhov, and Elmir Abbasov. With the exception of Abbasov, all are in custody, and he is under police supervision. They were initially charged with currency smuggling, but in January they were charged with six new criminal offenses. The defendants face up to 12 years in prison.
On December 8, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes held another hearing in the Toplum TV case, where witness questioning continued. During the hearing, Alesker Mammadli's condition worsened: he developed high blood pressure and heart problems. A doctor called to the courtroom examined Mammadli and administered medication, Meydan TV reported on its website.
In June 2024, the court ordered a medical examination for Alesker Mammadli at a private clinic, and he underwent a biopsy at the medical center. However, doctors refused to conduct a number of tests, and security officials refused to allow medical workers whom Mammadli trusted and whom the court had permitted to be present. During the procedure, 10-12 security officials stood by Mammadli, and his handcuffs were removed only at the doctor's insistence.
Defendant Farid Ismailov filed a motion to summon members of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan's parliament) to court. According to Ismailov, the witnesses questioned stated that they knew him only as a journalist, so the members he interviewed could also be questioned in court.
The witnesses didn't testify to anything. They just said they knew me.
"The investigative body questioned 49 people. What did they learn about me, what did they discover? Nothing. The witnesses testified nothing. They simply said they knew me, saw me during interviews, watched my reports. Why should knowing someone be considered a crime? Then let them arrest the people's artists; the people know them too," he was quoted as saying.
At the next court hearing, witnesses who were unable to appear in court are scheduled to be questioned via video link, the publication writes.
As a reminder, Toplum TV positions itself as an independent platform for expressing diverse opinions on socio-political and socio-economic events. Toplum TV has been operating since 2016. During the presidential elections, Toplum TV journalists published materials about violations and fraud. On February 10, Toplum TV announced the suspension of its operations in Azerbaijan.
Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Meydan TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. They denied the charges in court, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption.
The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest level in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the Caucasian Knot report " Key Points on the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan ." However, Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.
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Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/418924
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