AZIZ ORUJOV
Journalist and founder of Channel 13, repeatedly arrested for his critical reporting on human rights.
About Aziz Orujov
Aziz Orujov was born on 3 January 1984 in the Barda district of Azerbaijan. From 2001 to 2005, he pursued a bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Journalism of Baku State University. After graduating, he worked for newspapers such as Sharg, Millet and Ayna. In 2008, he cofounded the internet television channel Kanal 13 along with his brother Anar Orujov, and has managed the Baku office of Kanal 13 ever since.
Kanal 13 has over one and a half million subscribers to its English-language YouTube channel and over half a million subscribers to its Azerbaijani-language version. The channel covers issues such as human rights violations in Azerbaijan and socio-economic problems, as well as reports on the situation in the region. It also features discussions on current issues with various experts. The English-language version, in particular, broadcasts reports on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In 2014, when pressure on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Azerbaijan intensified and several NGO leaders were imprisoned, Aziz’s brother Anar, the co-founder of Kanal 13, was forced to leave the country. Anar Orujov currently lives in exile in Germany and continues his work there.
Aziz Orujov remained in Azerbaijan, but has since faced both short-term administrative detention and long-term imprisonment on criminal charges due to his work. In 2017, he was first detained on administrative charges for allegedly disobeying police orders and then re-arrested on more grave criminal charges of illegal entrepreneurship and abuse of power related to the Caucasus Media Investigations Centre, an NGO he ran with his brother. He was initially sentenced to six years in prison, but after an appeal, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan gave him a three-year suspended sentence, and he was released in 2018.
In November 2023, another criminal case was opened against Aziz Orujov. He was detained and charged under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code (unauthorised construction on land without ownership, use, or lease rights).
Case description
On 26 November 2023, police searched the home, office, and car of Aziz Orujov. The following day, on November 27, eight police officers arrested Orujov at his home in front of his child. They confiscated documents and USB sticks from his office, and took laptops, a cell phone, materials, and bank cards from his home.
On 1 December 2023, a court ordered three months of pre-trial detention for Orujov. He was initially charged with unauthorised construction, but on 19 December, authorities added charges of conspiring to smuggle foreign currency. The court also sought to block access to Kanal 13 and froze the bank accounts of Orujov’s family members, including his wife and mother.
His pre-trial detention was extended several times, on 21 February, March, and 25 June 2024. In June 2024, Orujov’s health deteriorated, and he was transferred to a prison hospital. His detention was prolonged again on 7 September 2024.
On 10 December 2024, the foreign currency smuggling charges were dropped, but the case proceeded with the charge of unauthorised construction. On 25 December 2024, the trial of his criminal case started at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes. On 26 February 2025, he was sentenced to two years in prison.
Resources about Aziz Orujov
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