An investigation is ongoing into a criminal case involving public calls aimed at forcibly changing the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan and inciting hatred and hostility on religious grounds, the Prosecutor General's Office told APA.
According to the statement, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan continues to take measures within its legally established powers to protect the country's constitutional order, public security, and the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as to prevent manifestations of religious radicalism and extremism.
In this regard, on October 16, 2026, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan initiated a criminal case under Articles 281.2, 283.2.1, and 167-3.1 of the Criminal Code and assigned the preliminary investigation to the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.
Circumstances established by the preliminary investigation
Based on evidence obtained during the preliminary investigation, reasonable suspicions have been established that a number of individuals operating in the Republic of Türkiye prepared and disseminated materials through various social networks and internet platforms containing calls for the forcible change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the violent seizure of state power in Azerbaijan, as well as violence motivated by religious radicalism and the incitement of religious hatred and hostility.
According to the investigation materials, these speeches and posts were not limited to expressing the religious views of individuals or criticizing the activities of state authorities. Their content contained signs of calls for violence and the unlawful alteration of the state's constitutional order.
During the legal assessment of these acts, the content of the disseminated materials, the context in which the statements were made, the methods used to communicate them to the public, their audience, dissemination characteristics, and other circumstances were examined.
Based on evidence collected at the current stage of the investigation, reasonable suspicions have been established regarding the following individuals residing and operating in the Republic of Türkiye:
1. Rıdvan Kaya, born in 1961, an author for Haksöz magazine and the Haksöz Haber online news resource;
2. Zekeriya Ceran, born in 1981, a writer for Köklü Değişim and presenter on Değişim TV, also known as Abdullah İmamoğlu;
3. Fatih Tezcan, born in 1976, founder of the Analiz Merkezi online resource and author of the program Fatih Tezcan'la Analiz Merkezi;
4. Ahmet Şanlı, born in 1971, head of Ahmet Şanlı Law Office;
5. Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, born in 1971, a researcher;
6. Abdurrahman Tumer, born in 1975, owner of a personal Facebook profile under the name Abdurrahman Tumer;
7. Alparslan Tanrıkulu, who works as a moderator and athlete.
According to the investigation, between September 25 and October 18, these individuals allegedly made statements containing religious radicalism and calls for the violent seizure of power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the forcible change of its constitutional order, and the incitement of religious hatred and hostility through violence on social networks, including X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, as well as other internet information resources. They are also suspected of disseminating these materials, along with numerous photographs, videos, and other materials of a similar nature, on internet resources viewed by large audiences and making public calls.
Furthermore, according to the investigation materials, Rıdvan Kaya made calls for the violent seizure of power and delivered speeches containing religious radicalism during a protest held outside the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Istanbul, Türkiye, on October 3, 2026.
Rıdvan Kaya and Zekeriya Ceran, also known as Abdullah İmamoğlu, allegedly made similar calls and speeches during a protest held outside the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Ankara, Türkiye, on October 13, 2026.
Procedural measures taken
According to the investigation materials, on October 19, 2026, the seven individuals were formally charged with committing crimes under Articles 281.2 (repeated public calls aimed at the violent seizure of power in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the forcible change of the constitutional order), 283.2.1 (incitement of religious hatred and hostility through violence motivated by religious hostility, religious radicalism, and religious fanaticism), and 167-3.1 (preparation, storage, and dissemination of materials calling for religious extremist activities, substantiating such activities, and justifying their necessity) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Based on motions submitted by the investigative authority and submissions by the prosecutor exercising procedural supervision over the preliminary investigation, the Binagadi District Court of Baku ordered their arrest in absentia, and the individuals were placed on the international wanted list.
At present, necessary investigative measures are continuing to objectively, fully, and comprehensively examine all circumstances of the acts attributed to the accused individuals, including the content of the calls and the circumstances of their dissemination, establish the authorship of the relevant materials, collect and verify electronic evidence, and determine other circumstances relevant to the criminal case.
At the same time, international legal assistance and cooperation mechanisms are being used to carry out the necessary measures within the criminal case, and cooperation is being ensured with the relevant competent authorities of the Republic of Türkiye and other partner countries.
Appeal by the Prosecutor General's Office
The Prosecutor General's Office once again emphasizes that the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees everyone freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of thought and expression, as well as the right to express their socio-political positions through lawful means.
At the same time, the exercise of these rights and freedoms does not provide legal grounds for making public calls for the violent seizure of state power, the forcible change of the constitutional order, the incitement of religious hatred and hostility, or engagement in religious extremist activities.
The preparation and dissemination of calls of this nature through internet resources, social networks, video platforms, and other electronic communication tools entail legal liability.
Information concerning unlawful acts directed against the constitutional order and public security of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as acts promoting violence and hostility on religious grounds, is being investigated. Regardless of individuals' citizenship, country of residence, public status, or the information platforms they use, appropriate procedural measures provided for by law will be taken against them.
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