AYNUR GANBAROVA
Independent journalist; editor-in-chief of Meydan TV; imprisoned under bogus charges.
About Aynur Ganbarova
Aynur Telman gizi Ganbarova, known under her pen name Aynur Elgunesh, was born on 29 May 1975 in the Aghdam District of the Azerbaijani SSR. During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, as a child, she and her family had to flee their home district. She studied and graduated with honours from the Faculty of Azerbaijani Language and Literature at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University.
Elgunesh started her career as a journalist in 1996, writing for State Radio and a number of print media outlets such as Cümhuriyyət, Yeni Qafqaz, Xalq Cəbhəsi, Paritet, and Müstəqil. From 2005 to 2014, she worked as a freelance investigative journalist for well-known independent newspapers, including Gündəlik Azərbaycan (where she focused on socio-economic issues), Yeni Müsavat, Azadlıq, and Bizim Yol. She also served as the press secretary for the Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (HCA).1
Apart from being a journalist, she conducted training for young media workers at the Baku School of Journalism (BJM) and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI). In 2012–2013, she taught civic journalism at Baku Slavic University.
In 2014, she joined Meydan TV and became its editor-in-chief. She wrote about human rights, political repression, and social justice. For her investigative reporting on issues such as human trafficking and government corruption, she became the recipient of many awards. These include the Media Key Award for Journalist of the Year (2009), the Hasan Bey Zardabi Award (2014), the OSCE Award for Journalists (2014), and the Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award (2025).
Her independent journalism made her a target of government repression. In Azerbaijan, she has been arrested and mistreated many times. Between 2015 and 2019, she was not allowed to leave the country. On 22 September 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the Azerbaijani authorities violated the journalist’s right to freedom of movement.
Case description
On 6 December 2024, the government of Azerbaijan arrested Elgunesh and at least five other Meydan TV reporters as part of a broader effort to shut down independent media. It has been reported that police used excessive force when arresting her at home, raising concerns about her health and safety. Police seized her electronic devices.2
On 8 December 2024, the Khatai District Court initially remanded her to four months of pre-trial detention, which was extended several times, and the court denied defence motions to transfer her to house arrest. She is held at Baku Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 1.3,4
On 28 August 2025, police amended the initial criminal charge against her (smuggling committed by a group of people acting by prior conspiracy) and added seven more charges, including illegal business activity, tax evasion, and money laundering.5
Her health and well-being while in custody raise concerns. She had major surgery on her leg before detention and requires regular physiotherapy, which she is reportedly denied in prison.6
On 12 December 2025, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes held a preparatory hearing in the case. During the hearing, the court denied the motion to transfer her to house arrest.7
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aynur_Elgunesh
- https://jam-news.net/sunday-arrests-7-detained-in-meydan-tv-case/
- https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107641904
- https://www.irfs.org/news-feed/court-denies-house-arrest-for-aynur-elgunesh-and-natig-djavadly/
- https://cpj.org/2025/09/azerbaijan-brings-new-charges-against-meydan-tv-arrests-another-journalist/
- https://www.facebook.com/afqan.muxtarli.9/posts/the-health-of-journalist-aynur-elgunesh-who-was-arrested-in-baku-has-deteriorate/1106712431001445/
- https://www.meydan.tv/en/article/a-preparatory-hearing-held-in-the-meydan-tv-case/
Resources about Aynur Ganbarova
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