The short documentary film “In the Shadow of the Plane Tree” by Aynur Elgunesh, the imprisoned editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, continues to gain international recognition. The film has been selected for the program of three prestigious festivals in a row.

Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunesh) was detained on December 6, 2024, in connection with the "Meydan TV case."

She was charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons with prior collusion) and was placed in pre-trial detention by court order.

Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunesh) denies the charges and states that she was arrested due to her journalistic activities.

The film will be screened as part of the short film program at the 22nd Global Peace Film Festival (USA), taking place from September 22–28. Since 2012, the festival has served as an important platform for presenting peace-themed films and fostering discussion and solidarity.

The film has also been included in the competition program of the Press Play Prague – International Journalism Film Festival, which will take place in Prague from October 7–11, 2025. This year’s edition will focus on the theme “Journalism Under Pressure,” highlighting the relationship between media and power structures, censorship, disinformation, and the sacrifices made by independent journalists.

Additionally, the film will be screened in the competition program of the 18th edition of the Entretodos Festival (Brazil), held in São Paulo. This festival is dedicated to short films that focus on human rights and citizenship.

“In the Shadow of the Plane Tree” is based on Aynur Elgunesh’s personal story. After 28 years, she returns as a journalist to her native city Aghdam, which she had to leave as a displaced person. There, Aynur searches for traces of her past and childhood among memories and ruins. The film had its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2022.

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This week saw the extension of journalist Nurlan Libre’s pretrial detention, employment challenges faced by activist Ismayil Taghiyev reportedly due to political reasons, and the sentencing of exiled blogger Mahammad Mirzali to six and a half years in prison on charges including incitement and calls against state authority.

Detention Period of Journalist Nurlan Libre Extended

The pretrial detention of journalist Nurlan Gahramanli (Libre), who was arrested in connection with the “Meydan TV case,” has been extended by another three months following a decision by the Khatai District Court, presided over by Judge Rafael Sadigov.

Libre was initially detained on February 21, 2025, as part of a broader criminal investigation involving Meydan TV. He faces charges under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, which pertains to smuggling committed by a group in prior collusion. His detention has been extended multiple times since his arrest. Currently, 12 individuals remain in custody in relation to the case.

On August 28, 2025, the charges were further intensified, with seven additional articles added to the indictment. The journalists involved maintain their innocence and argue that they are being targeted for their critical reporting.

NIDA member says he was denied employment due to his political views

Ismayil Taghiyev, a member of the NIDA Civic Movement and an IT specialist, says he has been declared an “undesirable person” in Azerbaijan and is facing serious obstacles in finding employment because of this. According to Taghiyev, since May of this year, he has applied for jobs at various state and state-affiliated institutions. Although he successfully passed the competition stages, he was ultimately rejected at the last moment. He told Meydan TV that these rejections mostly occur after the questionnaire phase, when he is required to submit personal and family information.

Ismayil Taghiyev. Photo: Personal Facebook Page

Previously, Ismayil Taghiyev worked as a journalist and in April 2024, he was questioned as a witness in the “AbzasMedia case” at the Baku City Main Police Department.
“I worked for one of Russia’s largest technology companies and have over three years of experience in IT. After returning to Azerbaijan, I started looking for a job. I passed the selection stages at the places I applied to. But after submitting my personal and family information, I either received no response or was rejected,” Taghiyev said.

According to him, most recently, he was invited to an artificial intelligence lab operating under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport and passed all stages. However, a month later, he was informed that after a background check, the ministry did not approve his employment. No official reason was given. Ismayil Taghiyev believes the situation is politically motivated. He suspects that the political activities of his wife, activist Jamila Alishova, may be behind this.

On January 29, 2025, Jamila Alishova ran as a candidate in the municipal elections held in Azerbaijan. Before and after the elections, she faced various obstacles and made these issues public through her social media accounts.

Jamila Alishova. Photo: Personal Facebook Page

“Both my wife and I are members of the NIDA movement. Jamila ran as a candidate in the 23rd Nasimi-Sabayil district in this year’s municipal elections. I suspect that because of this, when our personal data is checked, it is flagged as a ‘political view,’ leading to the rejections. State-affiliated institutions reject my applications after an initial review. This shows that we are being monitored by the state, both physically and digitally. Imagine this — despite all my experience, I can’t get a single job in Azerbaijan. I have the right to work, to not go hungry, and to live comfortably, but this right has effectively been taken away from me by the Azerbaijani state.”

It was not possible to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport regarding the reasons for rejecting Ismayil Taghiyev’s employment.

Exiled blogger sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison

On September 15, the trial of blogger Mahammad Mirzali, who currently resides abroad, concluded at the Binagadi District Court. During the hearing, presided over by Judge Vusal Taghiyev, Mirzali was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.

Photo: From Mahammad Mirzali’s personal archive

He faced charges under Article 220.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code for making calls to disobey the lawful demands of government officials, inciting mass unrest, and encouraging violence against citizens. Additionally, he was charged under Article 281.1 for making public calls to violently seize or retain power, forcibly change the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, or undermine its territorial integrity, as well as for distributing materials containing such messages.

Mahammad Mirzali is a former member of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP) and currently lives in France. According to his own statements, he organized a protest in Goychay titled “Stop Soldier Deaths!” and faced persecution as a result. He claims that before going into exile, he was detained and mistreated by police, and that his father was repeatedly summoned and threatened by authorities.

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New data published by the Our World in Data platform reflects the complex historical trajectory of the democracy index in Azerbaijan over the past two centuries.

According to the information, notable increases in the country’s democracy indicators have primarily been linked to key historical turning points. In particular, a significant rise in democratic indicators was observed during the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918–1919. However, this phase was short-lived, and following the collapse of the republic, the index quickly declined.

Another significant increase occurred in 1992, during the early years of independence. This period was characterized by a certain level of political pluralism and functioning electoral institutions. However, in the subsequent years, the democratic indicators showed a downward trend and have continued to remain at a consistently low level.

The current data is based on assessments from various sources, including V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), Polity (Polity V), EIU (The Economist Intelligence Unit), and BTI (Bertelsmann Transformation Index). Nevertheless, all indicators show that Azerbaijan faces limitations in terms of democratic governance. In particular, the “liberal democracy” index remains at a very low level.

Experts believe that this dynamic is closely linked to Azerbaijan’s political history, institutional development, and the geopolitical realities of the region. For the sustainable development of democracy, increasing the transparency of electoral processes, expanding opportunities for political participation, and ensuring the rule of law are cited as key objectives.

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