A Baku court has postponed the trial of 10 independent journalists and activists associated with the Toplum TV media outlet after the defence protested that they were denied access to the prosecution’s closing arguments.
The hearing at the Baku Grave Crimes Court on 22 June was rescheduled to 29 June to allow the defendants time to review the state’s recommended sentences, which range up to 16 years in prison.
The decision followed a sharp exchange between the presiding judge, Azar Taghiyev, and Akif Qurbanov, the head of the Democratic Initiatives Institute (IDI) and speaker of the opposition Third Republic Platform.
Judge Taghiyev initially rejected Mr Qurbanov’s request to pause the proceedings, describing the defendant’s objections as a “show”.
“The one putting on a show under the name of a court is you,” Mr Qurbanov replied. “You acted at the start as if, despite our arrest on the orders of President Ilham Aliyev, you would conduct a fair trial.
“What happened? You conducted no judicial investigation, and granted none of our motions.”
Mr Qurbanov also accused the prosecution of presenting unexamined evidence as established facts. He further claimed that police had confiscated his bag containing 17,000 Azerbaijani manats (£7,850) and a laptop during arrests in December 2023, and that the assets remain unaccounted for.
The “Toplum TV case” involves 10 figures connected to the independent news platform, which is one of the few remaining outlets in Azerbaijan offering critical coverage of domestic politics, economics, and human rights.
The defendants were initially charged with smuggling, but the accusations were subsequently upgraded to more severe currency-related offences. All 10 individuals deny the charges, maintaining that the prosecution is a politically motivated effort to silence independent media.
In the previous court session, prosecutor Rauf Malishov demanded a 16-year prison sentence for both Mr Qurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli, a co-founder of the Third Republic Platform.
The prosecution has also requested 15-year terms for Toplum TV co-founder Alasgar Mammadli and IDI employee Ali Zeynalov. Other journalists and staff members face proposed sentences of between 13 and 14 years.
While most of the accused remain in pre-trial detention, journalists Elmir Abbasov and Shahnaz Beylargizi have been released under police supervision pending the final verdict.