Security forces considered the protest of Meydan TV journalists in the courtroom a violation.

At a court hearing in Baku, journalists accused in the Meydan TV case protested against having their microphones turned off and being barred from their lawyers. Security forces issued a report for disturbing the peace.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 6, the defendants in the Meydan TV case demanded that observers be allowed to film the trial, but their request was denied.

Security forces drew up a report against the journalists arrested in the Meydan TV case for protesting in court. The report states that the defendants obstructed the prosecutor's speech and made noise by banging their hands on the glass cage, Meydan TV reported on its website on February 17.

The incident occurred during a hearing held on February 13. During the hearing, Judge Ayten Aliyeva prevented the journalists from speaking and kept them in a glass cage. This prompted a protest from the defendants, but the judge ignored their protests throughout the hearing, resulting in them expressing their outrage by banging on the glass of the cage, the publication writes.

If our microphones are turned off, our protests in the courtroom will continue.

"Our protest was related to the fact that we were not taken out of the glass cage and not allowed to sit next to our lawyers. With this protocol, they are sending a signal that the same behavior towards us will continue in the courtroom. If we are not taken out of the glass cage at future hearings, if we are not given the opportunity to speak, and if our microphones are turned off, our protests in the courtroom will continue in the same spirit," the publication cites the defendants' position.

13:05 23.12.2025

Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan

Since November 2023, Azerbaijan has seen a series of arrests of independent media journalists, with several criminal cases opened following a similar pattern. The "Caucasian Knot" report details what led to the new wave of repression against the independent press.

As a reminder, those arrested in the Meydan TV case were persecuted on the orders of the Azerbaijani leadership for their journalistic activities, one of the defendants, Shamshad Aga, previously stated. "You have neither the authority nor the courage to make arbitrary decisions in any process controlled by [the country's president] Ilham Aliyev. In these processes, the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge are all Ilham Aliyev," he told the court.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. In court, they denied the charges, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption cases.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points About the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.