Ramin Jabrayilzade, professionally known as Ramin Deko, has worked in Azerbaijani journalism since 2008. His career includes eight years at Azadliq newspaper, followed by work with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service between 2016 and 2023. He joined Meydan TV in 2023. Through reporting on elections, forced demolitions, public demonstrations and community concerns, he has documented human rights issues and the effects of government policies on everyday life.

In April 2011, he reported being abducted and pressured to abandon critical reporting. After speaking publicly about the incident, he reported a subsequent physical attack.

On 6 December 2024, Jabrayilzade was detained at Baku airport after returning from a reporting trip to Georgia. He was subsequently placed in pretrial detention in connection with the “Meydan TV case”. On 28 August 2025, the authorities expanded the accusations against him.

He was charged with multiple offences, including money laundering, tax evasion, and other alleged financial and economic offences. He and his 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 civil society. International organisations recognise him as a political prisoner.