Nurlan Qahramanly (Libre) – a freelance journalist, founder of the YouTube news channel “Portağal Media” Date of arrest: 20 February 2025 Charge: Article 206.3.2 (Smuggling, is moving large amount through customs border of the Republic of Azerbaijan of goods or other subjects, committed on preliminary arrangement by group of persons) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
On 21 February 2025, the Baku City Khatai District Court issued a ruling: to apply a preventive measure against Nurlan Qahramanly (Libre) in the form of arrest for a period of 1 months and 17 days.
The period of detention in custody during the investigation has been subsequently extended times Place of detention: Pre-trial Detention Center № 1 at the Kyurdakhani settlement in Baku City Sabunchu District Conclusion: On 6 December 2024, six employees working at the Baku Internet TV channel Meydan TV were arrested.
All of them were accused of smuggling committed by the group of individuals upon prior conspiracy.
The case was still under investigation, while the new arrests of journalists were carried on.
On 20 February 2025, it became known about the arrest of the YouTube news channel “Portağal Media” founder, a freelance journalist Nurlan Qahramanly, known under the pseudonym Nurlan Libre.
"Portağal Media” is translated as Orange Media.
His arrest was connected to the same case.
According to the journalist Fatima Movlamly, N.Qahramanly (Libre) was detained in Baku around two o'clock in the afternoon; then, the police transported him to his place of residence in the city of Sumqayit, where they conducted a search.
Relatives and friends did not know what happened next.
Only the next day it became known that on 21 February, the Baku City Khatai District Court sent Qahramanly under arrest for one month and 17 days.
According to the lawyer of the arrested Parviz Hajiyev, there were no any lawyer at the trial: "In the morning, I informed the investigator of the Baku Police Headquarters, in charge of Nurlan Qahramanly's case, that I was engaged for his defense, but while his relatives had been making an agreement with me, Nurlan Qahramanly faced a trial.
I asked an investigator why such a hurry, and he replied that "because of bad weather, snowfall, risk of icy roads".
A few days prior to his arrest, there was a video published by the Meydan TV on Facebook, which Qahramanly had prepared in advance in case of his arrest.
On the video, Mr.
Qahramanly referred to his arrest as a fait accompli.
In particular, he pointed out that he had been working as a freelance journalist for six years, during that time he had produced many investigative reports on human rights violations and election fraud.
According to Qahramanly, he has been “repeatedly harassed and subjected to administrative arrests,” threatened by the law enforcement officers, and his cell phone has been broken. “Despite all this, I never abandoned 30 the principles of journalism,” Qahramanly said on the video.
He added that he would not regret doing his job as a journalist if he ended up in detention: "Don't write anything sad about me.
I am not someone who was arrested for making something wrong.
There are 25 jailed journalists in the country now, and I will probably be the 26th." Afterwards, Nurlan Qahramanly stated: "I believe that despite my arrest, other young journalists will continue following my path.
Our journey is an honorable path, we will never regret it.
Stay healthy, strong, my friends," and he concluded that he would be proud to go to his like-minded colleagues in detention.”
