Date of Birth: 20 September 1994
Detained Since: 27 July 2026 (initially detained on 6 March 2024 and subsequently released under police supervision)
Affiliation: Social media manager, Toplum TV; member, N!DA Civic Movement

Charges:

• Conspiracy to commit illegal entrepreneurship (Art. 192.3.2)
• Conspiracy to commit money laundering (Arts. 193-1.3.1, 193-1.3.2)
• Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling (Art. 206.4)
• Conspiracy to commit tax evasion (Art. 213.2.1)
• Arranging employment of a substantial number of employees without labour contracts (Art. 162-1.1) 

Conviction and Sentence:
Convicted by the Baku Assize Court on 27 July 2026 and sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. He was taken into custody directly in the courtroom and is currently held as a convicted prisoner.

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

• (a) Violation of freedom of expression and association under the ECHR
• (e) His prosecution is politically motivated and aimed at suppressing independent media and civic activism 

Summary:

Elmir Abbasov is an Azerbaijani media worker and civic activist who worked as a social media manager at Toplum TV, one of Azerbaijan’s leading independent media outlets, and was a member of the N!DA Civic Movement. He joined Toplum TV in September 2022, contributing to the online distribution of independent reporting amid increasing pressure on critical media in Azerbaijan.

On 6 March 2024, Abbasov was detained during a police raid on Toplum TV and IDI offices. Police also searched his home in Sumgayit and claimed to have found €2,700, which Abbasov denied belonged to him. He was released under police supervision and later charged with bulk cash smuggling, illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and labour-related offences.

The investigation was marked by serious procedural violations, including reliance on undisclosed “operational information,” withholding evidence from the defence, and searches conducted without legal counsel. The circumstances surrounding the search and alleged discovery of cash also raised concerns about the possible planting of evidence.

His prosecution forms part of the broader 2023–2024 crackdown on independent media and civil society in Azerbaijan. Toplum TV and its personnel were subjected to pro-government smear campaigns portraying independent media as Western-backed, while journalists, activists, and NGO figures faced arrests and criminal prosecution

On 27 July 2026, the Baku Assize Court sentenced Abbasov to 12 years’ imprisonment, and he was taken into custody in the courtroom. International press-freedom organisations have condemned his prosecution and sentence as politically motivated retaliation against Toplum TV and independent journalism.

Download full legal analysis here as PDF