On February 28, Baku Appeals Court heard the appeal filed by the imprisoned editor of Khural newspaper Avaz Zeynalli against Narimanov district court decision on dismissal of his lawsuit against the Press Council.
Addressing the court, chief editor of Yeni Musavat newspaper Rauf Arifoglu said that Narimanov district court had been informed about the Press Council’s warning issued to Khural despite of the fact that after complaining to the Press Council about Khural, Arifoglu reconciled with Zeynalli with participation of Turan Information Agency’s director Mehman Aliyev.
Vagif Huseyn, lawyer of Yeni Musavat, who participated as a witness, said that the issue between Musavat and Khural was settled in 2010.
Turan director Mehman Aliyev in turn said the Press Council is not entitled to give such a decision.
“Press Council’s biased warning to Khural, which is not a member of this Council, is a made-to-order act” said Zeynalli.
Nevertheless, Judge Jamila Safiyeva rejected the journalist’s appeal, upholding the original court decision.
Note that in his lawsuit against the Press Council, Zeynalli requested invalidation of the warning, special opinion and meeting protocol of the Press Council, and provision of refutation and apology by the defendant and compensation for the damage to his business reputation.