Date of Birth: 3 November 2000
Detained Since: 28 February 2025
Affiliation: Reporter, Meydan TV; contributor to other independent online media outlets

Charges:

Initial charge (1 March 2025):

• 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:

Fatima Movlamova 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 rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of association, in view of her work as an independent journalist reporting on human rights and civic freedoms.

• (e) The proceedings appear driven by predominant political motives, aimed at silencing independent journalists and deterring critical reporting, rather than addressing genuine criminal conduct.

Summary:

Fatima Movlamova is an independent Azerbaijani journalist known for reporting on human rights violations, police brutality, women’s rights, and civic protests. She has also maintained an active public presence documenting politically sensitive events and developments. Her work has placed her within the independent media sphere that has faced intensified state pressure since 2023.

She was arrested on 28 February 2025 in Baku in connection with the “Meydan TV case.” Authorities initially charged her with conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling and later expanded the accusations to include alleged illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax offences, and document-related charges—an escalation pattern frequently observed in politically sensitive prosecutions targeting journalists and civil society actors in Azerbaijan.

Public reporting indicates that her arrest was accompanied by home search and seizure measures, including confiscation of phones/devices and allegations concerning seized cash, which her family disputes. Courts have repeatedly rejected requests to replace detention with non-custodial measures and have extended her pre-trial detention multiple times. Her prosecution is widely treated by international press-freedom and human-rights observers as part of a broader campaign against independent media and civil society.

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