The hunger strike of the defendant in the Toplum TV case has led to the postponement of the court hearing.

Ramil Babayev, a defendant in the Toplum TV case, announced at a Baku court hearing that his health has sharply worsened amid an ongoing hunger strike. Babayev declared the hunger strike in protest against violence against pretrial detention facility inmates.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the activists and journalists arrested in the Toplum TV case, who were initially accused of currency smuggling, were charged in January with new charges under six criminal offenses. They face up to 12 years in prison. Toplum TV positioned itself as an independent platform for expressing diverse opinions on socio-political and socio-economic events. On February 10, Toplum TV announced the suspension of its operations in Azerbaijan. At the November 24 hearing, the defendants demanded that the head of the Azerbaijan Customs Committee be summoned to court, but the court refused to consider the motion. On January 5, they challenged the court and called the inclusion of information about their foreign trips in the list of evidence unfounded.

The Toplum TV trial in the Baku Court of Grave Crimes continued on May 4. At the beginning of the hearing, one of the defendants, Ramil Babayev, a member of the Institute of Democratic Initiatives, spoke out against continuing the trial, an activist observing the trial told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

Babayev cited his poor health as a result of five days of hunger strike. Over the past two days, he has refused not only food but also water.

“According to Ramil Babayev, the reason for his hunger strike was to protest the inaction of the Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 administration regarding the use of torture against a prisoner by the facility’s deputy warden, Javid Gulaliyev. Ramil said he witnessed the torture and sought a meeting with the warden, Elnur Ismailov, to begin an investigation into his deputy’s actions and initiate a criminal case. However, according to Ramil, the warden refused to see him. Instead, Ramil was seen by the deputy warden against whom the activist had complained. This deputy warden told Ramil that he was not the only one beating prisoners and, therefore, the complaint against him was unfounded,” the source said.

Babayev also reported that after announcing his hunger strike, he requested to be transferred to a separate cell and given a medical examination. A medical worker examined him only on May 4th, before his arrival in court.

"Ramil reported that his blood pressure was measured and it was 100 over 40. Apparently, his blood pressure dropped so low because, as he himself said, he had been on a dry hunger strike for the past two days, also refusing water. Ramil said he had already vomited blood twice. Ramil was forcibly brought to court. The guards cited Judge Azer Tagiev's order that the prisoner be brought to court, even if they had to drag him across the floor. However, the judge said he had given no such order," the source also said.

According to him, Babayev looked "thinner and paler than at the previous hearing."

“The lawyers, pointing to the obvious health problems of the young man, stated that it was unacceptable to continue the hearing in such a situation. Lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova requested a medical examination of Ramil Babayev. Judge Azer Tagiev initially stated that he did not have a document confirming the defendant's hunger strike, but at the insistence of the lawyers and other defendants, he nevertheless agreed to postpone the hearing. Ramil, however, said that only after the head of the pretrial detention center receives him, he will continue his hunger strike and drink water. And his main demand is to take measures to end the violence perpetrated by the deputy head of the pretrial detention center and punish him,” the source noted.

One of the lawyers participating in the trial confirmed the information about what happened at the hearing on May 4.

“Ramil Babayev looked exhausted. He was overcome by the injustice he faced, the falsity of the charges, "His nervous system is damaged. And now, due to the hunger strike, he has completely undermined his health," the lawyer said.

According to the defense, the trial is in the document review stage, after which the parties will make their closing arguments.

An employee of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the Toplum TV case hearing has been postponed until May 18, without explaining the reasons. Representatives of the prosecution were unavailable for comment, and a Caucasian Knot correspondent was unable to obtain comment from the Azerbaijan Penitentiary Service.

The Caucasian Knot also reported that journalists Aytaj Tapdyg, Khayala Agayeva, and Aysel Umudova, accused in the Meydan TV case, had previously complained about threats of force and indecent behavior from the deputy head of Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Meydan TV, Abzas Media, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. This information can be found in the Caucasian Knot report "Serial Arrests of Journalists 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 investigations into corruption.