The first court hearing in the Meydan TV case took place in Baku. The court rejected the lawyers' motions to drop the criminal prosecution of the journalists and release them.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for an end to the persecution of critics of the Azerbaijani government. The organization also called on Azerbaijan to drop the charges against 12 Meydan TV journalists. The criminal case against them was initiated in December 2024.
Six journalists were initially detained and arrested on charges of currency smuggling. They claim the case is related to their professional activities. The number of those arrested in this case later increased to 12. They were charged under seven additional articles of the criminal code.
In addition to the Meydan TV case, other Azerbaijani media outlets have also been targeted, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13. In June 2025, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. In court, they stated that the prosecution was related to their professional activities and investigations into corruption.
