Prominent Azerbaijani journalist and Xural Media Group head Avaz Zeynalli has died at the age of 56.
His lawyer, Rashad Vagifoglu, announced the journalist’s death on social media on September 28. Azerbaijani media subsequently reported the news, citing Vagifoglu.
Zeynalli had been suffering from cancer for a prolonged period and had undergone treatment in Trkiye for several months. In recent days, his health had deteriorated significantly, and he had continued receiving medical treatment in Azerbaijan.
The journalist underwent surgery at the Republican Diagnostic Centre on September 22. His wife, Malahat Zeynalli, said at the time that the operation had gone normally but that his condition remained serious.
Zeynalli, a well-known figure in Azerbaijan’s media landscape and the head of Xural TV.
In 2024, he was sentenced to eight years and 10 months in prison. He was subsequently released early on health grounds as his condition deteriorated.
Zeynalli was born on January 1, 1970.