Meydan TV's statement regarding latest arrests of journalists

On Friday, 6 December 2024, beginning around 1pm Baku local time, Meydan TV's newsroom lost contact with a number of individuals, some of whom collaborate with Meydan TV.

While trying to reestablish contact, we learned that these individuals are currently being held at the Baku City Police Department. They are the following:

Khayala Agayeva / Xəyalə Ağayeva
Aytaj Ahmadova (Tapdig) / Aytac Əhmədova (Tapdıq)
Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunesh) / Aynur Qənbərova (Elgünəş)
Ramin Jabrayilzade (Deko) (independent journalist) / Ramin Cəbrayılzadə
Natig Javadli / Natiq Cavadlı
Aysel Umudova

The homes of some of the journalists named above were searched, and personal equipment and some of their belongings were seized.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ramin Jabrailzade (Deko) was detained based on information received regarding the illegal import of foreign currency into the country. In addition, several individuals were detained as part of the investigation. Ramin Deko works as an independent journalist and reporter.

We as the management of Meydan TV, firmly state that the detention and interrogation of our journalists is illegal, and we refute all accusations.

Since the day we started our activities over a decade ago, our brave journalists have been arrested, and they and their families have been subjected to persecution. Journalists who cooperate with us have been illegally banned from leaving the country, and have been surveilled by Pegasus spyware, among other forms of pressure.

Our website has been officially banned within the country’s borders since 2017, and Oor social media channels have repeatedly been subjected to cyberattacks.

Despite these attempts to silence us, we at Meydan TV have continued our work as journalists, publicized the events taking place in the country and the problems of ordinary citizens, and have done this all free of censorship.

Our goal has always been to be an independent and alternative media organization in Azerbaijan, informing our audience daily. The pressures and accusations against us since our establishment are groundless, and these novel attacks will neither silence us nor stop our work.