Day: July 2, 2025
Recent trading activity at the Netherlands’ Title Transfer Facility (TTF)—Europe’s most liquid virtual gas hub—shows futures prices for August contracts rising to $411.5, reflecting continued upward pressure in the region’s gas markets. These numbers are not arbitrary. They reflect deeper, long-term trends: constrained supplies, geopolitical tensions, and an EU-wide push to diversify away from Russian gas. Azerbaijan, through its reliable exports via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), has become an essential player in filling that gap…
Meydan TV’s editor-in-chief Aynur Elgunesh has been awarded a prestigious international prize established by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). The announcement was covered by Hamamtimes.
This year, the organization honored Aynur Elgunesh specifically with the Justice for Women Journalists Award, selected from candidates worldwide.
The award is presented annually to recognize the courage and professional work of women journalists who have been unjustly imprisoned.
Aynur Elgunesh was arrested in December 2024 due to her journalistic activities.
The official award ceremony will take place this November in New York City.
The last time IWMF honored someone from Azerbaijan was in 2012, when journalist Khadija Ismayilova received the Courage in Journalism Award.
Reminder
On December 6, 2024, five Meydan TV employees — Ramin Deko (Jabrayilzade), Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunash), Aytaj Tapdig, Aysel Umudova, Khayala Aghayeva, and Natig Javadli — were detained. They were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed in collusion by a group of persons). As a result, they were sentenced to four months of pre-trial detention during the investigation period.
On the same day, civil society member Ulvi Tahirov was also detained. He received the same charges and a four-month detention order. Ulvi Tahirov has no connection with Meydan TV.
On February 5, 2025, Shamshad Aghayev (Agha), editor-in-chief of the website “argument.az” and a journalist who collaborated with Meydan TV, was also detained. A pre-trial detention measure was applied to him as well.
On February 20, journalist Nurlan Libre (Gahramanli) was detained in connection with a criminal case related to Meydan TV. The court also issued a pre-trial detention order for him.
Fatima Movlamli was detained on February 28 in connection with another criminal case related to Meydan TV. The Khatai District Court issued an arrest warrant for her.
Journalist Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva) was detained on May 7 as part of a criminal case related to Meydan TV and was arrested by decision of the Khatai District Court.
The homes of the detained journalists were searched, and their phones, computers, and other personal belongings were confiscated.
The detained journalists insist they are innocent and say they are being punished for their journalistic work as Meydan TV staff.
Currently, around 30 journalists and public activists are in prison on similar charges. They deny the accusations and link them to their professional activities. Government representatives claim that there are no politically motivated arrests in the country.
International human rights organizations and Western officials have called on the government to release those who have been unjustly detained.
The post Aynur Elgunesh awarded IWMF’s ‘Justice for Women Journalists’ prize appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.
The Georgian Dream parliament approved the credentials of Davit Dolidze, a new MP from the ruling party’s list. Dolidze, a former Tbilisi City Hall employee, replaces Givi Mikanadze, who was appointed Georgian Dream’s new Education Minister.
During a July 2 extraordinary session in the one-party parliament, MPs also voted to appoint Mariam Lashkhi as chair of the Education Committee, previously chaired by Givi Mikanadze. Lashkhi recently drew attention after several GD critics were fined or sent to detention over Facebook “insults” directed at her, among others.
The Georgian Dream parliament, which concluded its spring session, remains a one-party legislature, as opposition parties are boycotting it, considering it illegitimate due to claims of election rigging. During today’s session, GD MPs terminated the mandates of 12 For Georgia party members, leaving it up to the next 12 candidates on the party list to decide whether to take the seats.
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In a move signaling deeper regional cooperation and digital transformation, the central banks of Azerbaijan and Georgia have held high-level discussions on the practical implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems in financial oversight and regulation, Azernews reports, citing the National Bank of Georgia (NBA).