Ganimat Zahid

Affiliated media: Azadliq newspaper, Editor-in-chief

Incident date: December 23, 2025

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Radio Azadliq

Location: Azerbaijan, Baku

Additional information:

On 23 December, the final court hearing in the criminal case against Ganimat Zahid, the editor-in-chief of Azadliq newspaper, who is currently in exile, was held at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes. The hearing, chaired by Judge Fakhri Mammadov, concluded with the announcement of a verdict in absentia. According to the verdict, Ganimat Zahid was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. After fleeing to Europe due to continuous pressure, Zahid was charged under Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code (public calls directed against the state, committed repeatedly or by a group of persons). Azerbaijani courts have previously issued similar in absentia verdicts against many bloggers and public figures who have left the country.