The European Court of Human Rights has issued another ruling against the Government of Azerbaijan.

The decision concerns an application filed by journalist Ramin Jabrayilzada (Deko), who is currently in prison, regarding freedom of information.

Ramin Jabrayilzada (Deko) was detained on December 6, 2024, in connection with the “Meydan TV case.”

 He was initially charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons acting in collusion), and a court ordered his pretrial detention.

On August 28, 2025, the charges in the “Meydan TV case” were increased. Currently, 12 people arrested in this case are being charged under seven different articles of the Criminal Code.

In 2012, Jabrayilzada sent a request for information to the Presidential Administration, asking for the following data:

• A list of well-known individuals — artists, athletes, and officials — who had been granted apartments by presidential decrees;
• The financial sources for these apartments;
• Whether the state owned any other housing funds and whether the Baku City Executive Authority had any powers over those funds.

The Presidential Administration did not respond to the journalist’s request.
Jabrayilzada therefore filed a lawsuit, but the domestic courts rejected his claim.
After that, he appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.

In its judgment, the European Court stated that the journalist was fulfilling the function of a “public watchdog” and that the requested information was necessary for his professional activities.
The Court further noted that the information sought related to an issue of significant public interest, namely the distribution of state-funded apartments to citizens.

In this case, the Presidential Administration neither determined who held the information, nor forwarded the request to the relevant authority, nor responded to the applicant at all.
The domestic courts failed to address this inaction and merely stated that the journalist had “applied to the wrong authority.”

The Court concluded that the behavior of the Presidential Administration was “not prescribed by law” and constituted an interference with the journalist’s freedom of information.
Accordingly, the European Court found a violation of Articles 10 (freedom of expression) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Court also noted that the mere finding of a violation in this case was sufficient compensation for any moral damage the applicant might have suffered, and therefore no monetary compensation was awarded.

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Members of the Founding Board of the Third Republic Platform, Ruslan Izzatli and Akif Gurbanov, who are currently imprisoned in connection with the “Toplum TV case,” have appealed to the president on behalf of Shamshad Agha, the editor-in-chief of argument.az, who is in custody as part of the “Meydan TV case.”

Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli were arrested in connection with the “Toplum TV case.”

The arrests related to the “Toplum TV case” began in March 2024.

In total, 10 people have been charged in this case.

Initially, they were accused of smuggling, but the charges were later made more severe.

In their appeal, they called for the release of journalist Shamshad Agha, who remains under arrest:

“As you have repeatedly stated, it is you who determines what happens in the country and when, and it is you who makes the decisions. Even though there has been no court verdict against us and your investigative bodies have yet to ‘prove’ anything, you have, through several public statements, presented us as guilty of crimes that have not been proven, thereby openly showing that you stand behind the persecution against us. Thus, it is evident not only to us but to the entire public of the country and the world that we are facing this persecution by your will. As a result, what has been done to us is inconsistent with the Holy Qur’an, upon which you have sworn, the Constitution of the Republic, and the political and legal ethics of the civilized world.”

It was noted in the appeal that Shamshad Agha’s wife is suffering from a “serious, life-threatening illness” and urgently requires surgery.

“Unfortunately, the surgery carries a life-threatening risk, and doctors cannot provide a clear prognosis—they emphasize that the risk is high. Shamshad Agha’s family consists of four members, including two young children under his care. Under these circumstances, it is vitally necessary for Shamshad Agha, as the head of his family, to be by his wife’s side, to help organize her treatment, and to care for his children.”

Shamshad Agha was arrested on February 5 in connection with a criminal case linked to Meydan TV.

He was charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), and the court ordered his pre-trial detention.

Currently, 12 people in total are under arrest in connection with this case.

On August 28, 2025, the charges in the “Meydan TV case” were made more severe, with seven additional charges added.

They also emphasized that these persecutions affect the families’ lives:

“We are aware that the unjust persecution we face, whether openly or covertly, also affects our family members, friends, and loved ones. They too are subjected to various hardships. However, we are not going to step back from the principles we have declared or from our path toward establishing the Third Republic in our country. Once again, we bring to your and society’s attention that we will not submit to the ‘One-Man’ regime you have built. We are determined to continue our struggle against your crude, arbitrary, and materialistic system using only peaceful and civil means, based on the law, our moral strength, and our republican ideals.”

The politicians wrote that since the investigation into the “Meydan TV case” has been completed, there are no longer any grounds to claim that Shamshad Agha might influence the case or attempt to flee the country.

“The preliminary investigation in the ‘Meydan TV case’ has already been completed. Therefore, there are no longer any formal reasons to suggest that Shamshad Agha might interfere with the case or try to leave the country. Thus, it is solely within your power to allow Shamshad Agha, at this difficult time, to be with his family, to help with his wife’s treatment, and to care for his children,” they emphasized in their letter.

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During a meeting in Dushanbe, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed beginning talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev by discussing the crash of the AZAL aircraft.

At the meeting on October 9, Putin once again expressed his condolences over the accident and reminded Aliyev that he had apologized during their earlier phone conversation following the tragedy.

“I would like to begin our meeting with the aviation accident that occurred in our airspace. During our first phone call after the incident, I not only apologized for the fact that the tragedy happened in Russian skies but also expressed my deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The investigation is coming to an end, and now we can already speak about the causes of this disaster,” Putin said.

The Russian president also elaborated on the reasons behind the crash:

“There were several causes. The first is that a Ukrainian drone was in the air at the time. On the night of the tragedy, we observed three such drones crossing the border. The second reason relates to technical failures in Russia’s air defense system. There is no doubt that in such tragic situations, everything necessary — including compensation — will be carried out by Russia, and all responsible officials will face legal evaluation of their actions.”

On December 25, 2024, an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Of the 67 people on board, 42 were Azerbaijani, 16 Russian, 6 Kazakh, and 3 Kyrgyz citizens. 38 people were killed, and 29 survived.

In June 2025, tensions rose after two ethnic Azerbaijanis detained during a police operation in Yekaterinburg died under torture, and several others were injured. Baku condemned the incidents as “ethnic pressure” and harshly criticized Russian authorities. Additionally, the persecution of Azerbaijani-linked businessmen in Russia — including raids, arrests, and business interference — fueled further discontent.

In response, Azerbaijan shut down the Baku office of “Sputnik”, arrested several Russian citizens on espionage charges, and suspended the activities of the “Russian House” cultural center.

Putin also spoke about bilateral cooperation, noting:

“Despite the tragedy and all the surrounding issues, our economic relations have been developing successfully. Last year, we achieved around 6% growth, and this year it has already exceeded 16%, which is an excellent result. Thanks to your attention, our humanitarian ties have always remained strong. We will do everything to preserve this positive dynamic.”

The Russian president expressed optimism about the future of Moscow-Baku relations:

“I hope that our cooperation will not only be restored but will also continue in the spirit of our alliance. We never forget the treaty we signed recently and will do our utmost to ensure that all its key provisions are implemented,” Putin said.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked Putin for his personal attention to the AZAL plane crash investigation and stressed the importance of continuing economic cooperation:

“I would like to thank you personally for keeping this situation under your attention. We have discussed it many times, and our teams remain in constant contact. We had no doubt that the investigation under your supervision would be conducted objectively. Thank you once again for giving this matter special attention during our meeting,” Aliyev said.

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