Ramil Babayev is an Azerbaijani civil society activist whose work spans social research and animal rights advocacy. At the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), he progressed from participant to coordinator of the “Young Social Researchers” programme. Alongside this work, he pursued doctoral studies in philosophy at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

His arrest on 6 March 2024, during a raid on the premises shared by IDI and Toplum TV, led to his prosecution in the “Toplum TV case”. The proceedings initially concerned alleged foreign-currency smuggling and later expanded to include several financial and employment-related offences. Babayev rejects the accusations and maintains that he was targeted for his civic engagement.

On 27 July 2026, the Baku Grave Crimes Court imposed a 13-year prison sentence and a two-and-a-half-year ban on holding certain positions.

He was convicted on multiple criminal charges, 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.