Date of Birth: 25 June 1985
Detained Since: 26 August 2025
Affiliation: Freelance photojournalist; former photography instructor at the Baku School of Journalism; independent photography professional

(Not formally employed by Meydan TV; included in the “Meydan TV case” as part of a consolidated prosecution targeting independent media workers)

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit illegal entrepreneurship in the form of an organised criminal group and in an aggravated and significant amount (Art. 192.3.2)

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering in the form of an organised criminal group and a substantial amount (Arts. 193-1.3.1, 193-1.3.2)

• Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling in the form of an organised criminal group (Art. 206.4)

• Conspiracy to commit tax evasion in the form of an organised criminal group (Art. 213.2.1)

• Forgery and use of forged documents (Arts. 320.1, 320.2)

Conviction and Sentence:
Trial ongoing before the Baku Assize Court. No conviction or sentence to date.

Political Prisoner Status:
His detention meets criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012):

• Violation of freedom of expression and association under the ECHR

• His prosecution is politically motivated, aimed at silencing a prominent political leader and civil society figure

Summary:

Ahmad Mukhtarov is an Azerbaijani freelance photojournalist and photography professional known for field photography and visual documentation of socially and politically significant events, including conflict-related reporting and current-affairs coverage. He previously worked as a photography instructor at the Baku School of Journalism and has remained professionally active as an independent photographer.

He was arrested on 26 August 2025 and incorporated into the consolidated criminal proceedings known as the “Meydan TV case.” Public reporting indicates that he had earlier been subjected to short-term administrative detention during the December 2024 crackdown on independent media, before being re-arrested and charged in August 2025 under an expanded set of financial and document-related offences applied uniformly across the case.

His prosecution follows a recurring pattern in Azerbaijan whereby journalists and media workers are targeted through group-based financial crime accusations, reliance on non-transparent “operational information,” and prolonged pre-trial detention. Observers widely regard his detention as part of the broader crackdown on independent media and civil society that intensified from autumn 2023 onward.

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