Date of Birth:1 September 1982
Detained Since: 5 February 2025
Affiliation: Editor-in-Chief (Arqument.az), Contributor (Meydan TV)

Charges:

• Initial charge (5 February 2025):

  • Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling (Art. 206.3.2, Criminal Code of Azerbaijan)

• 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:

Shamshad Aghayev has not been convicted. Proceedings in his case are ongoing before the Baku Assize Court as part of the consolidated “Meydan TV case.”

Political Prisoner Status:

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

• Violation of freedom of expression and freedom of association under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), due to his work as an independent journalist and editor.
• Politically motivated prosecution, forming part of a broader crackdown on independent media and critical journalism in Azerbaijan.

Summary

Shamshad Aghayev is a well-known Azerbaijani independent journalist and editor, serving as editor-in-chief of Arqument.az and contributing to Meydan TV. His journalistic work has focused on governance, civil liberties, and state accountability, and he is publicly associated with the independent media ecosystem that has faced intensified repression since 2023.

He was detained on 5 February 2025 by officers of the Baku Metropolitan General Police Department, following earlier arrests of Meydan TV journalists in December 2024. On the same day, police searched his residence and seized personal electronic devices. Independent reporting indicates that the search was conducted without the presence of legal counsel and before a formal warrant was presented, raising serious procedural concerns. Rights organisations reported that he was denied immediate access to a lawyer and subjected to coercive questioning.

On 6 February 2025, the Khatai District Court ordered his pre-trial detention, citing the gravity of the charges and alleged risks of interference with the investigation. His detention was repeatedly extended throughout 2025, including after the August 2025 requalification of charges, which significantly expanded the indictment using a standardized package of financial and document-related offences applied collectively to defendants in the case.

His prosecution follows a well-established pattern in Azerbaijan in which independent journalists are charged with alleged financial crimes—such as currency smuggling and money laundering—in order to criminalise legitimate journalistic activity. The case relies heavily on undisclosed “operational information,” police-led searches, and associative reasoning rather than individualized, verifiable evidence of criminal conduct.

Shamshad Aghayev’s arrest forms part of a broader wave of political repression targeting independent media, civil society, and opposition figures since autumn 2023. Observers note strong parallels with previous cycles of repression condemned by the European Court of Human Rights.

International organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have denounced the charges against Shamshad Aghayev and other defendants in the “Meydan TV case” as politically motivated.

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