As part of the International Women in Media Foundation’s 2025 Courage in Journalism Awards, Aynur Elgunesh, editor-in-chief of Meydan TV in Azerbaijan, has been named the recipient of this year’s Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award. For the past 11 years, Aynur has worked at Meydan TV in Azerbaijan, leading coverage on human rights, political repression, and social justice. Before her time at Meydan TV, Aynur worked at some of the country’s most lauded independent media outlets, including Jumhuriyyet, Gundelik Azerbaijan and Azadlıq, among others. From human trafficking to the rights of displaced people and government corruption, Aynur’s investigative reporting and advocacy for media freedom has earned widespread recognition.
On December 6, 2024, Aynur and six other Meydan TV journalists were arrested on fabricated charges of criminal activity. Aynur, who has a disability, was handled roughly by police when arrested at her home. With her life under immediate threat, she remains imprisoned at the Baku Investigative Detention Center amid an ongoing investigation with an uncertain outcome.
