Journalist Gahramanli announced his hunger strike to the court.

Nurlan Gahramanli, a journalist arrested in the Meydan TV case, announced an indefinite hunger strike at a Baku court hearing in protest against violence perpetrated by guards.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, Nurlan Gahramanli told his wife that on December 1, 2025, he was subjected to violence by guards in the Sabail District Court of Baku, where his arrest was being extended. "For Nurlan's complaint about the lack of medication for prisoners, he was subjected to force in the courthouse holding area. He was tied to a table and held there for an hour," his wife said, noting that judges have ignored Gahramanli's allegations of abuse.

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Nurlan Gahramanli declared a hunger strike on January 16 during a hearing on the Meydan TV case in the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, the journalist's wife, Asli Alizade, told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

According to her, the reading of the indictment continued at the hearing, and Gahramanli informed the court of his intention to file a motion. He reported that he had previously been physically assaulted by guards in court, and upon returning to the pretrial detention center, he was unjustifiably placed in solitary confinement, and his written complaint was confiscated.

There was no soap or other hygiene products. The room was extremely dirty.

"I was immediately placed in solitary confinement and kept in extremely poor conditions. I couldn't even provide myself with medical care. There was no soap or other hygiene products. The room was extremely dirty, even the bedding was dirty," the journalist's wife quoted him as saying.

However, according to her, Judge Ayten Aliyeva interrupted Gahramanli, stating that the court was now hearing the state prosecutor. In response, the journalist announced he was beginning an indefinite hunger strike in protest against impunity for the physical violence against him and the unfounded criminal prosecution.

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Other defendants pointed out the prosecutor's lengthy speech, an activist who observed the trial and asked not to publish his name told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Journalists were unhappy that the prosecutor spoke for three hours without a break, repeating the same content in relation to each defendant. They pointed out the lack of need for this. The defendants also expressed outrage after Judge Ayten Aliyeva threatened to remove relatives and friends of the defendants from the courtroom for "making noise" in the courtroom. Fatima Movlamli emotionally told the judge: "You can serve evil, but don't even think of yourself as omnipotent." When another judge said: "Girl, calm down," Movlamli said: "It's better to be young, write the truth, and sit here than to be old and pass false "[The sentence was omitted]", which drew applause from the audience," the activist said.

According to him, the other defendants demanded that those who had left to relieve themselves be allowed back into the courtroom. "They pointed out that the hearing was taking a long time, and some needed to leave the courtroom, but then they were not allowed in. This led to a verbal altercation between the defendants and the judges, and the hearing was interrupted," the activist said.

An employee of the Baku Court for Serious Crimes told a Caucasian Knot correspondent that the next hearing in this case is scheduled for January 30. Representatives of the prosecution were unavailable for comment.

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Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan

Since November 2023, a series of arrests of journalists from independent media outlets has taken place in Azerbaijan, and several criminal cases have been opened under a similar scenario. The "Caucasian Knot" report details what led to the new wave of repression against the independent press.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to imprisonment for 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.

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, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.