The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan continues to take measures within the framework of its powers established by legislation to protect the constitutional order, public safety, and the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as to prevent manifestations of religious radicalism and extremism.
According to information provided to elchi by the Press Service of the Prosecutor General’s Office, within this framework, on October 16, 2026, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan assigned the preliminary investigation of cases initiated under Articles 281.2, 283.2.1, and 167-3.1 of the Criminal Code to the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Hallmarks determined by preliminary investigation:
Based on the evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation, strong suspicions have been established that a number of individuals operating in the Republic of Turkey, through various social networks and internet platforms, have prepared and disseminated materials inciting the violent alteration of the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the violent seizure of state power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as violence based on religious radicalism, and the incitement of religious hatred and enmity.
According to the investigation materials, these speeches and posts are not limited to the expression of individual religious views or criticism of the activities of state bodies; their content contains signs of calls for violence and the unlawful alteration of the state’s constitutional order.
When legally evaluating these actions, the content of the disseminated materials, the context in which the expressions were used, the methods of dissemination to the public, the audience, the characteristics of dissemination, and other circumstances were investigated.
Based on the evidence gathered at the current stage of the investigation, a number of individuals residing and operating in the Republic of Turkey:
1. Rıdvan Kaya, born in 1961, active as an author in the “Haksöz” magazine and the “Haksöz Haber” internet resource;
2. Zekeriya Ceran, born in 1981, writer for “Köklü Değişim” publication, host of “Değişim TV” (known by the name Abdullah İmamoğlu);
3. Fatih Tezcan, born in 1976, founder of the “Analiz Merkezi” internet resource and author of the program “Analiz Merkezi with Fatih Tezcan”;
4. Ahmet Şanlı, born in 1971, head of the “Ahmet Şanlı Law Office”;
5. Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, born in 1971, researcher;
6. Abdurrahman Tumer, born in 1975, owner of the personal Facebook profile named “Abdurrahman Tumer”;
7. Alparslan Tanrıkulu, active as a moderator and athlete
have made speeches content inciting the violent seizure of power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the violent alteration of the constitutional order, as well as the incitement of religious hatred and enmity through violence, on “X”, “Facebook”, “Instagram”, “YouTube”, “TikTok” social networks and other internet information resources between September 25 and October 18, respectively. They have also disseminated these materials, as well as numerous other photo, video, and other materials of this nature, on internet resources viewed by a wide audience, and have made open calls, with strong suspicions established.
Furthermore, according to the investigation materials, Rıdvan Kaya made calls for the violent seizure of power and delivered speeches with religious radicalism content at a rally held in front of the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, on October 3, 2026. Rıdvan Kaya and Zekeriya Ceran (known by the name Abdullah İmamoğlu) also made similar calls and speeches at a rally held in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Ankara, Republic of Turkey, on October 13, 2026.
Procedural measures taken:
Based on the investigation materials, the aforementioned 7 individuals have been involved as accused persons for committing crimes stipulated by Articles 281.2 (open calls for the violent seizure of power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, committed repeatedly), 283.2.1 (incitement of religious hatred and enmity through the use of violence based on religious enmity, religious radicalism, and religious fanaticism), and 167-3.1 (preparation, storage, and dissemination of materials calling for religious extremist activity, justifying such activity, and legitimizing its necessity) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as of October 19, 2026. Based on the motions of the investigative body and the submissions of the prosecutor exercising procedural supervision over the preliminary investigation, the Binagadi District Court of Baku city issued decisions to select pre-trial detention as a measure of restraint against them in absentia, and these individuals have been placed on international wanted lists.
Currently, necessary investigative actions are ongoing to objectively, fully, and comprehensively investigate all circumstances of the actions attributed to the accused individuals, including the content of the calls and the conditions of their dissemination, to identify the authorship of the relevant materials, to collect and verify electronic evidence, and to determine other circumstances of importance to the criminal case.
At the same time, in order to carry out the necessary measures in the criminal case, mechanisms of international legal assistance and cooperation are being utilized, and interaction with the relevant authorized bodies of the Republic of Turkey and other partner states is ensured.
Call from the Prosecutor General’s Office
The Prosecutor General’s Office once again emphasizes that the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees everyone the freedom of conscience and religious belief, freedom of thought and speech, as well as the right to express their socio-political position through legal means. However, the exercise of these rights and freedoms does not provide legal grounds for calls for the violent seizure of state power, the violent alteration of the constitutional order, the incitement of religious hatred and enmity, or open calls for religious extremist activity.
The preparation and dissemination of calls of this nature through internet resources, social networks, video platforms, and other electronic communication channels entail responsibility.
Information regarding illegal actions directed against the constitutional order and public safety of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as those promoting violence and enmity on religious grounds, is being investigated, and appropriate procedural measures stipulated by law will be ensured against individuals, regardless of their citizenship, country of residence, social status, or the information platform they use.