Hurriyyet TV editor-in-chief detained after search

The State Security Service conducted a special operation at the editorial offices of the Hurriyet newspaper, the Hurriyyet.az website, and Hurriyyet TV. Editor-in-chief Vugar Mammadov was detained.

Today, security forces searched the Hurriyyet TV office, seizing computer equipment and several documents. During the operation, the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Vugar Mammadov, was detained, Oxy.az reports.

Vugar Mammadov is the nephew of Sardar Jalaloglu, chairman of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party. It is believed that this operation may be related to the Ramiz Mehdiyev case, according to Meydan.TV.

The operation was conducted on October 29, 2025, at approximately 6:00 PM. Approximately 10 State Security Service officers entered the office of the online television channel immediately after Mammadov's broadcast on Hurriyyet TV. After searching the office, they seized all of the channel's equipment. Around the same time, a search was also conducted at the editor-in-chief's rented apartment in the Nizami district. No documents or personal belongings were seized, Hurriyyet.az reports.

It should be noted that no formal charges have been filed yet, nor are the reasons for the editor-in-chief's detention known. "We categorically object to the fact that some publications are linking Mammadov's detention to the 'Ramiz Mehdiyev case,' and we declare that these arguments are entirely biased. This is not the only reason why several government agencies warned Vugar Mammadov of his arrest several months ago if he did not cease his activities," the publication notes.

Previously, "Caucasian Knot" reported that former President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Ramiz Mehdiyev was charged with high treason. The court ordered house arrest for him for four months.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Toplum TV, Abzas Media, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. They denied the charges in court, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption cases.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest level in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points on the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." At the same time, Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.