Arrest decision on 7 Turks from Azerbaijan

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan announced that a pre‑trial detention order has been issued in the investigation of seven people living and operating in Turkey. It also said that an international arrest warrant has been launched for those individuals and that international judicial cooperation mechanisms have been activated.

The names of those for whom a decision has been made were announced as Rıdvan Kaya, Zekeriya Ceran, Fatih Tezcan, Ahmet Şanlı, Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, Abdurrahman Tumer and Alparslan Tanrıkulu.

Three separate charges have been brought.

According to the Prosecutor General's statement, the suspects are accused of publicly calling for the violent seizure of power and the forced alteration of the constitutional order, inciting religious hatred and enmity through violence, and preparing, storing, or disseminating materials containing religious extremism.

Those charges have been brought to investigation in accordance with the provisions of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code. However, the charges do not mean that a final conviction has been reached against the individuals.

Social media posts and protests are being examined.

It was stated that posts made on social media platforms between 25 September and 18 October 2026 were considered evidence within the scope of the investigation. It was recorded that speeches made during protests held in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Istanbul and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara were also subject to review.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office announced that the investigation is ongoing and that necessary international judicial cooperation and assistance processes are being carried out. No details were shared in the statement regarding the subsequent stages of the process concerning the suspects.