Media Rights Institute director, lawyer Rashid Hajili told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety today that on 26 January 2008 a complaint was sent to the European Court of Human Rights in connection with the verdict adopted against “Azadlig” Newspaper, on the basis of the lawsuit put forth by former executive administration head of the Garadagh region Tagub Aliyev.
Recall that on 12 October 2006 the Sabayil District Court fulfilled Aliyev’s lawsuit, which claimed insult to honor and dignity, libel and damage to business reputation. The court fined “Azadlig” Newspaper 5,000 AZN, the editor of the article 10,000 AZN and “Azadlig” Newspaper’s chief editor Ganimat Zahid 5,000 AZN, and ordered the newspaper to publish a refutation. The appellate court upheld this verdict on 6 February 2007, and the Supreme Court upheld the verdict on 26 July 2007.