“If we were smugglers, we wouldn’t be in prison”
Aytac Ahmadova (Tapdiq), one of the imprisoned employees of Meydan TV, had a motion filed by her lawyer for her release on house arrest during the investigation period, which was reviewed at the Khatai District Court on January 23. The journalist herself also attended the hearing.
In the motion, lawyer Cavad Cavadov requested Aytac Tapdiq’s release either on house arrest or on bail, arguing in court that there is no substantial suspicion to justify keeping his client in custody. He also stated that no initial evidence or proof has been presented regarding the charges of currency smuggling against Aytac Ahmadova.
Aytac Tapdiq herself stated that her imprisonment was politically motivated, explaining that the main reason for her arrest was her journalistic work and the materials she and her colleagues at Meydan TV produced. She claimed they were framed and imprisoned in an effort to silence them. Tapdiq also recalled that before Meydan TV, employees of “AbzasMedia” and “Toplum TV” had been arrested on smuggling charges in the same manner, adding, “We knew that journalists were being arrested with false accusations like this. We saw the danger coming. Nevertheless, we continued our work. If we were smugglers, we wouldn’t be in prison today.”
The journalist further stated that the true smugglers are those who exploit and steal the country’s resources.
The investigator opposed Aytac Tapdiq’s release, arguing that it would disrupt the investigation process, and the court also rejected the request for her release. In response, lawyer Cavad Cavadov announced that he would file an appeal against the decision.
On December 6, six employees of Meydan TV – Aynur Elgunash, Aysel Umudova, Aytac Ahmadova (Tapdiq), Xayala Aghayeva, Ramin Cabrayilzada (Deko), and Natiq Cavadli, along with Ulvi Tahirov, the Deputy Director of the Baku Journalism School, were detained and charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code for smuggling, allegedly committed by a group acting in collusion. Each of them was ordered to undergo a 4-month pre-trial detention. Searches were carried out at their homes, with their phones, computers, and other personal items seized. The detained journalists have denied the charges, and Meydan TV has asserted that they are being targeted for their critical work. In the past year and two months, nearly 30 journalists and bloggers, including those from “AbzasMedia,” “Toplum TV,” “Kanal 13,” and other media outlets, have been arrested in Azerbaijan.
