Nurlan Gahramanli

Nurlan Gahramanli, known as Nurlan Libre, has been a freelance journalist since 2018. He has faced extensive persecution in Azerbaijan for his anti-war activism and reporting on human rights and political issues. He began his career at Kanal13, where coverage of protests led to his arrests and fines. In 2020, he founded Orange Media, an independent online platform focusing on human rights and political accountability. His anti-war stance during the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict escalated threats and government summons. In 2023, he was kidnapped, mistreated, and detained again. Facing increasing pressure, he was forced to flee Azerbaijan in late 2023.

On February 20, 2025, Gahramanli was arrested under smuggling charges in connection with the Meydan TV case. Following his detention in Baku, authorities conducted a search of his home in Sumgait, a city outside of Baku. Prior to his arrest, Gahramanli prepared a video, posted by Meydan TV on Facebook, where he detailed his six years of independent journalism, reporting on human rights abuses and election fraud. He described facing repeated persecution, including arrests, threats, and property damage, but affirmed his commitment to journalistic principles.

On February 21, 2025, the Khatai District Court ordered Gahramanli be kept in pre-trial detention for one month and 17 days. Reportedly, his lawyer was absent from the detention hearing.