A court in Azerbaijan has handed down sentences to nine staff members of Toplum TV, an independent outlet known for its investigations into corruption and coverage of social issues in the country. The harshest penalties were imposed on the project's co-founders, Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzetli, who were each sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Seven other staff members also received lengthy sentences. Notably, Toplum TV founder and media lawyer Alesker Mammadli—who, according to media reports, is currently seriously ill—was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Video editor Mushfig Jabbarov, along with project coordinators Ilkin Amrakhov and Ramil Babayev, each received 13-year sentences. Reporter Farid Ismayilov and social media manager Elmir Abbasov were sentenced to 12 years, while journalist Ali Zeynalov received a 14-year sentence.

All the defendants were found guilty of financial crimes, specifically currency smuggling, illegal business activities, money laundering, tax evasion, and document forgery. Observers note that 15-year sentences in Azerbaijan are typically reserved for those convicted of high treason.

Toplum TV is one of the few independent media outlets in Azerbaijan. The publication produced investigative reports on corruption within government ministries and covered the state of the economy, censorship, and social issues. Despite the persecution of its editorial team, the project continues to operate with a new team of journalists; its YouTube channel has approximately 100,000 subscribers.

The case against the outlet began in March 2024, when police raided the Toplum TV office, sealed the premises, and detained nearly all of its staff members. After the media law banning foreign funding for the press came into force, investigators charged the journalists with money smuggling and subsequently added further financial charges.

The prosecution of Toplum TV staff sparked an international reaction. A resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) described the criminal case against the journalists as an attempt to "silence critical voices" in Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijani human rights defenders, the number of political prisoners in the country exceeds 300. Various monitoring groups estimate that between 328 and 340 individuals have been arrested on political grounds. These include journalists, bloggers, opposition activists, human rights defenders, and religious figures.

In recent years, the European Parliament has repeatedly adopted resolutions sharply criticizing Baku over the arrest of journalists, pressure on the opposition, and the situation surrounding Karabakh.

Furthermore, in late May, the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights expressed concern regarding the systematic suppression of dissent in Azerbaijan. The committee's report noted that this practice is carried out, in part, through the adoption of legislation restricting freedom of speech. According to the report's authors, the application of these laws has led to the curtailment of independent journalism, the suppression of genuine political opposition, and restrictions on civil society freedoms and the right to freedom of expression.