Ilkin Amrahov, an employee of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) and one of the defendants in the high-profile “Toplum TV case,” celebrated his 24th birthday on December 4th while in prison.
Amrahov was detained on March 6, 2024, during an operation carried out against the independent media platform, Toplum TV. He is one of ten individuals facing criminal charges in connection with the case. Initially charged with smuggling (currency contraband), the charges against the group have since been aggravated. All defendants reject the accusations, stating their detention is politically motivated.
Professional and Academic Background
A young researcher in the field of international relations, Amrahov is an alumnus of the International Relations Faculty at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan. Prior to his arrest, he was actively involved with the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, having completed the Young Project Managers program and later working as a group coordinator for the second iteration of the program.
Court Testimony and Denial of Charges
During one of his court hearings, Amrahov provided a vivid account of the police action, strongly criticizing the immediate search and seizure operations:
“Police raided the office and immediately cut the internet. They forcibly took phones from everyone. They initiated an urgent operational search without presenting a court order or offering any explanation, despite the fact that there was no human body in the office, no crime against an individual or state authority was being prepared, and no real danger to human life or health existed.”
Amrahov also publicly refuted the core claim of the investigation regarding his alleged involvement in organized currency smuggling from abroad with other defendants. He challenged the investigation’s claims, which assert that the group made “visits to foreign countries under various names during 2023–2024” to smuggle goods:
“The investigation allegedly determined that we… traveled to foreign countries… and smuggled goods into the country from abroad. The Khatai District Court sanctioned my detention for a total of 13 months based on this submission. However, if the court, an institute of the state, were independent, a simple inquiry would reveal that I have never traveled to a foreign country. I do not even possess a foreign passport. The illegal nature of the sanction trials continues today in the same manner as before.”