Date of Birth: 28 September 1965
Detained Since: 6 March 2024
Affiliation: Deputy Director, Baku Journalism School

Charges:

• Initial charge (8 December 2024):

  • 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:
Trial ongoing before the Baku Assize Court. No conviction or sentence to date.

Political Prisoner Status:

Ulvi Tahirov’s detention meets criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012) on the definition of political prisoners:

• (a) His detention violates fundamental rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including freedom of expression and freedom of association, given his role within structures supporting independent journalism.

• (e) The prosecution appears politically motivated and forms part of a wider crackdown on independent media and civil society in Azerbaijan, relying on repetitive “financial crime” accusations used against journalists and media workers.

International press-freedom and human-rights organisations have raised concerns about the politically motivated nature of prosecutions under the “Meydan TV case” and have called for the release of those detained.

Summary:

Ulvi Tahirov is a respected journalism educator and media professional in Azerbaijan, publicly associated with the Baku Journalism School, where he serves as Deputy Director. His professional work is linked to journalism training and capacity-building for independent reporting.

He was detained on 6 December 2024 in connection with the criminal case publicly known as the “Meydan TV case.” Public reporting indicates that law-enforcement officers searched his home, held him overnight, and questioned him amid concerns regarding effective access to legal counsel and pressure related to access to electronic devices.

On 8 December 2024, the Khatai District Court ordered his pre-trial detention for four months. Courts subsequently extended his detention multiple times during the investigation period. The case later expanded to include additional “financial” and document-related accusations, mirroring a pattern observed in other politically motivated prosecutions against journalists and media workers in Azerbaijan.

Observers note that the case forms part of a broader crackdown on independent media and civil society that intensified from autumn 2023 onward, in which journalists and media professionals have been detained under repetitive allegations such as currency smuggling and related offences.

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