Among those detained are several employees of the notorious Meydan TV: Ramin Jabrayilzade, Khayala Aghayeva, Natig Javadli, Aytaj Taptig, Aynur Elgunesh, Aysel Umudova, and Ulvi Tahirov. For now, they have been remanded in custody for four months while investigations continue. Details of the charges have not been disclosed, but according to leaked media reports, financial violations are once again at the center of the allegations.
This is undoubtedly a case where it’s necessary to establish clear boundaries and address the facts head-on. Let’s state the obvious: laws—including those regarding financial transparency—must be upheld by everyone in Azerbaijan. This applies equally to entrepreneurs, members of parliament, officials, journalists, bloggers, vloggers, and content creators. There are no exceptions.
Most importantly, it’s impossible to agree with the portrayal of Meydan TV as an “independent media outlet.” Truly independent media, by definition, fund themselves. Meydan TV, however, is a grant-funded entity. According to leaked reports, $75,000 in cash was smuggled into Azerbaijan over the past two months to fund Meydan TV. Naturally, such funds ensure that the outlet broadcasts exactly what its benefactors demand.
And what exactly is being demanded? This is where things get more interesting.
Officially, grant-funded media like Meydan TV and Toplum TV are supposedly advancing human rights, freedom, and democracy in Azerbaijan in line with European standards. They are also allegedly fighting corruption. But…
It raises a question: how can corruption or democratic values be promoted through illegal financial schemes? And there are even more shocking examples. Consider Meydan TV journalist Orkhan Mammadli, who appeared on DW (a network eager to broadcast anything negative about Azerbaijan). He claimed that Azerbaijani eco-activists had “blocked the only road between Karabakh and Armenia,” were holding “100,000 Armenians” under siege, and even accused Azerbaijan of “ethnic cleansing” in Karabakh.
One might theoretically argue about “freedom of speech” or the journalist’s “duty to speak the truth, even if it is against their country,” if it weren’t for the facts: there was no “blockade” and no “ethnic cleansing” in Karabakh. Humanitarian aid and buses carrying civilians were freely allowed to pass. The restrictions targeted the transport of military equipment and weapons to Karabakh and the removal of gold ore from it. Claims of mythical “ethnic cleansing” of Armenians in Karabakh are nothing more than crude, discredited fabrications.
Those who followed the events of September 2023 will recall that Azerbaijan guaranteed the safety of the civilian population of Karabakh from the outset. Karabakh Armenians were offered citizenship with full political and civil rights. The residents of Khankendi, Agdara, and Khojavend, however, chose not to live under Azerbaijan’s restored sovereignty. This was not “ethnic cleansing” but voluntary relocation. In his DW appearance, Orkhan Mammadli knowingly disseminated falsehoods and amplified the propaganda of Armenian aggressors. It appears that Meydan TV’s patrons were displeased with Azerbaijan’s restoration of sovereignty over Karabakh.
The narrative of promoting European-style democracy also falters under scrutiny. Consider the 2015 Nardaran uprising, during which Iranian agents were proven to have attempted to install “Islamic rule” in Azerbaijan. During the unrest, local journalists from Azerbaijani TV stations were attacked and barred from reporting in Nardaran. The sole exception? Meydan TV.
How should this be interpreted? Did Meydan TV’s sponsors want an Azerbaijan without sovereignty over Karabakh and controlled by pro-Iranian factions? Or were they simply pursuing the strategy of “the worse, the better,” destabilizing the country as much as possible? And whose interests were they serving—those of the Armenian lobby, Western Islamophobes, Russia’s Gazprom, or Ruben Vardanyan?
Today, following this new wave of arrests, there is hope that the investigation will uncover who was calling the shots at Meydan TV. But even now, it’s clear that the interests of Azerbaijan are far from a priority for grant-funded media outlets. And this is something to keep in mind the next time there’s an outcry about the “crackdown on independent media.”
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
