Date of Birth: 29 May 1975
Detained Since: 6 December 2024
Affiliation:Editor-in-Chief, Meydan TV

Charges:

Initial charge (8 December 2024):

• Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling (Art. 206.3.2)

Additional charges announced on 28 August 2025:

• 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:

Aynur Ganbarova should be regarded as a political prisoner under criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012):

• (a) Her arrest and continued pre-trial detention violate her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly freedom of expression and media freedom, as she is prosecuted for her journalistic and editorial work.

• (e) The criminal proceedings are driven by predominant political motives, aimed at silencing independent media leadership and dismantling critical journalism, rather than addressing any genuine criminal conduct.

Summary:

Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunesh) is a prominent Azerbaijani journalist and editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, known for her long-standing editorial leadership on politically sensitive issues, including human rights violations, corruption, domestic violence, and children’s rights. Under her leadership, Meydan TV has remained one of the most influential independent media platforms covering governance and accountability in Azerbaijan.

She was arrested on 6 December 2024 during a coordinated police operation targeting Meydan TV journalists. Authorities initially accused her of conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling and later expanded the case to include a broad set of financial and document-related charges. These accusations follow a recurring pattern in Azerbaijan whereby journalistic activity and professional networks are reframed as organised financial criminality.

The investigation against her has been marked by serious procedural concerns, including allegations of ill-treatment, questioning without legal counsel, intrusive searches, seizure of journalistic equipment, reliance on undisclosed “operational information,” and repeated extensions of pre-trial detention without individualized justification.

Her arrest forms part of a broader wave of political repression (2023–2025) targeting independent media, civil society, and political opposition, following the adoption of restrictive legislation on media and political parties. International human rights and press freedom organisations have condemned the prosecution of Meydan TV journalists, including Aynur Ganbarova, as politically motivated.

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