Preliminary hearing held in Toplum TV case in Baku court

A Baku court held a preliminary hearing on Wednesday in the case involving nine individuals linked to independent media outlet Toplum TV, with defense lawyers challenging the validity of charges and pre-trial procedures.

Judge Azer Taghiyev chaired the session at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes, where lawyers claimed inconsistencies in arrest dates and questioned the clarity of the indictment. One lawyer said a sentence in the document contained more than 4,700 words.

Ruslan Izzətli, a co-founder of the Third Republic Platform, and Akif Qurbanov, linked to Toplum TV's parent organization, denied wrongdoing, saying the case was politically motivated. Qurbanov told the court the defendants were detained because of his public activity.

Toplum TV domain owner Elsgar Mammadli denied accusations of tax evasion and illegal business, stating he has been a registered taxpayer for 18 years.

Defense attorneys also requested house arrest for two student defendants whose education had been interrupted for over a year. The court approved only one motion — for joint visitation — and scheduled the next hearing for May 5.

Reporting by Tatyana Kryuchkina