In Azerbaijan, the founder of a TV channel was remanded in custody

A Baku court rejected a petition to change the pretrial detention measure against the arrested founder of Toplum TV, Alesker Mammadli, despite his need for surgery.

Mammadli, insisting that he could not influence witnesses, requested a transfer from pretrial detention to house arrest. However, the prosecutor's office objected.

Along with Alesker Mammadli, several other individuals are facing up to 12 years in prison in the Toplum TV case. Initially accused of currency smuggling, they were later charged with six additional criminal offenses.

In addition to Toplum TV, other independent media outlets, such as Abzas Media, Meydan TV, and Kanal-13, are also being persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, Abzas Media journalists were sentenced to 7.5 to 9 years in prison. They believe their persecution is retaliation for their anti-corruption investigations.

Earlier, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the arrested journalists.

Последние новости
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
Society
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
30 October 2026

In Khasavyurt, 15-year-old Maryam Akavova rescued a six-year-old child from a Lada Priora that had caught fire. On October 27, the ninth-grade student was walking past a parked car when she noticed a boy’s head sticking out of a window. Upon getting closer, she saw that the glove compartment inside the vehicle was already on fire.

Human rights
"We’ve been killed": The newspaper where Anna Politkovskaya worked announces its forced closure
30 October 2026

Russia’s *Novaya Gazeta* is ceasing operations. On November 9, the editorial team plans to vacate its office in the center of Moscow, shut down its servers, and publish its final issue. The journalists announced this decision on October 30 in a statement titled "We’ve been killed," citing pressure from Russian authorities and security services, eviction from their premises, and the blocking of their reader-donation system.

Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
Society
Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
30 October 2026

Dagestan is considering a complete ban on the retail sale of electronic cigarettes and the liquids used in them. The republic’s People’s Assembly has approved, in the first reading, a bill that would impose a five-year restriction on the sale of such products throughout the region. The initiative was put forward by the Speaker of the Parliament, Zaur Askenderov.

Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an
Politics
Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an "Aliyev-Style" Constitution
30 October 2026

The Armenian authorities have no intention of adopting a Basic Law dictated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The discussion concerns the development of a new Constitution, which would require the approval of the republic’s own citizens, stated Ruben Rubinyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during a briefing on October 30.