ALI ZEYNALOV

Civic activist and video producer, currently imprisoned on disputed smuggling charges, known for his work with independent media and youth journalism programs.

About Ali Zeynalov

Ali Zeynalov was born on 24 February 1996, in Baku. 

The year he graduated from high school, he enrolled in the “Computer Engineering” faculty at Azerbaijan University and completed his bachelor’s degree there from 2013 to 2017. 

During his student years, in September 2016, he joined the NIDA Civic Movement. He was active in the movement but left the organisation in September 2017. 

At the same time, in 2016, he participated in the “Young Journalists” program organised by the Institute for Democratic Initiatives. Ali Zeynalov graduated from the program’s first cohort. Later, he took part in many training courses abroad on creative video production. He is also involved in similar training as a mentor in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia, teaching young journalists and bloggers how to produce short videos in this field. 

Afterward, he was a freelance video creator who contributed to online media platforms like Toplum TV, Open Azerbaijan, and Hamam Times. 

Before his arrest, Ali Zeynalov coordinated the “Young Journalists” program at the Institute for Democratic Initiatives. 

The 28-year-old Ali Zeynalov has been in custody since 6 March 2024. He is one of seven people arrested that day during search operations conducted by the officers of the Baku City Main Police Department at the offices of Toplum TV, the political organisation III Republic Platform, and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives. Two others detained that day were later released under alternative preventive measures instead of arrest.

Ali Zeynalov<br />
A public activist and video creator, currently imprisoned on disputed smuggling charges, known for his work with independent media and youth journalism programs in Azerbaijan.<br />

All nine individuals are charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of persons acting in collusion). It is claimed that large amounts of foreign currency were found during searches at the offices of Toplum TV and other organisations and in the homes of the detained individuals.

The arrested individuals deny the charges, alleging that the money was planted by the police and then “discovered.” 

Ali Zeynalov also states that the accusations are false and that he was arrested amid pressures on independent media. 

Investigators from the Main Police Department of Baku City are conducting an investigation into the criminal case related to Toplum TV, which includes Ali Zeynalov. He is being held at the Baku Detention Center in Kurdakhani.

Resources about Ali Zeynalov

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The Anar Mammadli Campaign to end repression in Azerbaijan is a joint project of human rights defenders and NGOs highlighting the systemic nature of the practice of arbitrary detention for over two decades.

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