It turned out during the proceedings that there is a contradiction between the testimonies introduced to the defendant and those provided in the trial. Thus Zeynalli declared that the indictment against him was fabricated.
The trial will be reopened on October 16, at 10:00am, with witness testimonies.
Avaz Zeynalli was arrested on October 28th, 2011 based on a false lawsuit brought by ex-MP Guler Ahmedova, who claimed that Zeynalli attempted to extort money from her. The Khural chief editor is charged under Article 311.3.3 (taking large bribe) and 311.3.4 (extortion).
A recent video footage posted on a social networking website exposed Guler Ahmedova’s involvement in corrupt activities, where Akhmedova demanded a huge amount of bribe from former university rector Elshad Abdullayev. After that Akhmedova was deprived of her parliamentary mandate last week. The Prosecutor General’s office has launched a criminal case against her under Article 178.3.2 (fraud).