Azerbaijani lifestyle influencer 'By Ella' released from custody as charges dropped

Azerbaijani social media influencer Lala Mammadova, widely known online as "By Ella," has been released from detention after investigators dropped all criminal charges due to a lack of evidence, Lent.az reported.

Mammadova had initially been placed in pre-trial detention for three months following a July 30 ruling by Baku's Sabail District Court. The investigative authority ordered her immediate release on August 19 after finding no substantiation for the allegations.

Following her release, Mammadova rejected circulating social media rumors alleging she was detained over drug trafficking attempts from Turkey, calling the claims baseless slander. She stated that legitimate law enforcement actions on such offenses would have involved formal public statements by authorities. Mammadova confirmed she has filed formal legal complaints against online accounts that propagated the false reports to hold them accountable under defamation laws.

N.Tebrizli