Aynur Ganbarova, professionally known as Aynur Elgunesh, has combined reporting, editing, documentary filmmaking and journalism education throughout a career spanning more than three decades. She joined Meydan TV in April 2014 and became its Editor-in-Chief. Her work examines corruption, political repression and human rights, with particular attention to people displaced by conflict.

Originally displaced from Aghdam, Ganbarova drew on this experience in her documentary “Shadowed by the Plane Tree”, which premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2022. She has also trained journalists at the Baku Journalism School and taught at Baku Slavic University. In 2025, the International Women’s Media Foundation recognised her work with its Courage in Journalism Award.

Ganbarova previously faced questioning in an investigation concerning Meydan TV and a travel ban that lasted from 2015 to 2019. On 6 December 2024, she was arrested at her home in connection with the new “Meydan TV case”. The accusations against her were expanded on 28 August 2025. She remains in detention while the trial continues.

She was charged with multiple offences, including money laundering, tax evasion, and other alleged financial and economic offences. She and her co-defendants have consistently rejected all charges, maintaining that the criminal proceedings against them are politically motivated and linked to their legitimate and professional works within media. International organisations recognise her as a political prisoner.