Press freedom advocates condemn pressure on Aytaj Tapdyg's family

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom has spoken out in defense of journalist Aytaj Tapdyg, arrested in Azerbaijan, and her family, calling for the ban on her mother leaving the country to be lifted. The organization called for the release of Tapdyg and other arrested Azerbaijani journalists.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, Azerbaijani authorities have banned Dilruba Amanova, the mother of arrested Meydan TV journalist Aytaj Tapdyg, from leaving the country. The woman was twice prevented from leaving Azerbaijan, although after the first attempt, security forces assured her that the ban had been lifted.

Azerbaijani authorities must lift the ban on Aytaj Tapdyg's mother, Dilruba Amanova, from leaving the country and stop any reprisals against the family of the arrested journalist, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) said.

“Aytaj has been imprisoned in Azerbaijan since December 2024, along with other media workers persecuted as part of the government’s campaign against independent journalism. The pressure on her has now spread to her family: her mother, Dilruba Amanova, was twice prevented from leaving Azerbaijan to visit her other daughter in Berlin,” reads a statement received today by a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

After the first instance of being denied access to an international flight, the journalist’s mother was informed that the travel ban had been lifted and she had purchased new tickets. However, on May 12, she was stopped again at the Baku airport, the authors of the statement recalled.

They also emphasized that Aytaj Tapdyg was subjected to physical violence and threats in custody. “These allegations require an immediate and independent investigation. Azerbaijan must release Aytaj Tapdyg and all journalists imprisoned for their professional activities,” the organization stated.

Dilruba Amanova has still not been able to clarify the reasons for her travel ban. She believes that restrictions on her rights are pointless in terms of putting pressure on the journalist's family.

"No obstacles or restrictions can break our will. Light will always triumph over darkness, and good will triumph over evil. As long as love, faith, and fortitude live within us, we are capable of overcoming anything. Life belongs to those who are not afraid to fight and remain human," Amanova told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

A temporary ban on leaving Azerbaijan is only possible in cases provided for by law: as part of a criminal case, in the event of failure to comply with a court decision, or in the event of tax or financial obligations. In all other cases, such restrictions are illegal, lawyer Yalchin Imanov previously told Caucasian Knot.

One of the lawyers involved in the Meydan TV case told the "Caucasian Knot" that the next court hearing has been set for June 5.

The Meydan TV case was opened in December 2024, when six journalists were detained and later arrested on charges of currency smuggling. They linked the criminal case to their professional activities. By August 2025, 11 people had been arrested in the Meydan TV case. At the end of August, it was announced that the investigation had been completed, and a 12th suspect, photojournalist Akhmed Mukhtar, had emerged in the case. Meanwhile, the arrested journalists were charged with seven more criminal offenses.