Date of Birth: 18 July 1993
Detained Since: 6 December 2024
Affiliation: Reporter, Meydan TV

Charges:

Initial charge (6 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:

Aytaj Ahmadova 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 constitute a violation of her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular freedom of expression, as she is being prosecuted for her work as an independent journalist.

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

Summary:

Aytaj Ahmadova (Tapdig) is an independent Azerbaijani journalist known for her reporting for Meydan TV, a media outlet that covers politically sensitive issues, governance, and human rights. Since 2023, Meydan TV and its journalists have been subjected to intensified pressure, smear campaigns, and criminal prosecution.

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, later expanding the case to include a broad set of financial and document-related charges commonly used in Azerbaijan to criminalise independent civil society and media work.

The investigation against her has been marked by serious procedural concerns, including reliance on undisclosed “operational information,” intrusive searches of journalists’ homes, seizure of professional equipment, and repeated extensions of pre-trial detention without adequate justification. The charges appear to be applied collectively to a group of journalists rather than based on individualised evidence.

Her arrest forms part of a new wave of political repression (2023–2025) following restrictive legislation on media and political activity, mirroring earlier patterns of repression in Azerbaijan where legal restrictions were followed by politically motivated arrests.

International organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, and the Council of Europe, have condemned the prosecution of Meydan TV journalists, including Aytaj Ahmadova, as politically motivated.

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