ALASGAR MAMMADLI
Founder of Toplum TV and a media law expert, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, while his health condition raises serious concerns.
About Alasgar Mammadli
Alasgar Mammadli was born on 24 May 1968, in the Agdam district of Azerbaijan.
Alasgar Mammadli pursued his bachelor’s degree in law at Istanbul University from 1991 to 1996. He later completed a master’s degree in law and public administration at the Public Administration Institute for Turkey and the Middle East (TODAIE) in Ankara from 1999 to 2001.
He also underwent specialised training at the Istanbul Bar Association and gained experience as a lawyer in Turkey’s heavy criminal courts.
After returning to Azerbaijan, Mammadli worked as a lawyer and director of their local offices with international organisations such as Internews and IREX between 2002 and 2014. He also began his academic career, teaching media law at ANS Media Academy and Baku State University’s Journalism Faculty from 2009 to 2013. In recent years, he lectured on administrative law at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA).
As a law expert, he has contributed to 28 publications. He has also cooperated as an expert for the OSCE, Council of Europe, and other international organisations, offering training to hundreds of lawyers, journalists, and civil servants on human rights and media freedom.
In 2016, Alasgar Mammadli launched Toplum TV to establish an independent media outlet in Azerbaijan. Since then, Toplum TV has played a significant role in providing balanced news coverage in the country.

However, on 6 March 2024, Azerbaijani police raided the offices of Toplum TV, arresting its staff and sealing the office. Some employees were released, while others, including Mammadli, were charged with smuggling (Article 206.3.2) of the Criminal Code, a charge Mammadli and his associates deny. Mammadli was arrested under controversial circumstances on March 8, 2024, after being attacked and forced into a car while leaving a medical clinic.
Authorities later claimed to have found €60,000 in his home, which Mammadli’s family denies, accusing the police of planting the money. Despite his arrest and accusations, Mammadli counts those charges fabricated to silence his independent media platform.
His health has also become a concern, as he was undergoing treatment for a potentially cancerous tumour before his detention. Mammadli’s legal team has repeatedly requested his release on health grounds, but the Court has rejected these requests.
The investigation into Alasgar Mammadli and Toplum TV staff remains ongoing, and there is widespread concern over press freedom and human rights in Azerbaijan.
Resources about Alasgar Mammadli
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