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Today, 7 July, a hearing was held in the Narimanov District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Turgay Huseynov, on the criminal case against "Khural" Newspaper Chief Editor Avaz Zeynalli by the National Security Ministry due to Zeynalli’s translation and publication of Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf".
Baku State University instructors – Arif Rustamov, Rovshan Javadov and Tofig Hajiyev who gave a complex expert opinion in the Justice Ministry’s Court Expertise Center in connection with the book "Mein Kampf" testified during the hearing.
The witnesses said that they had not been informed that the examination has connection to a criminal case, and none of them read this book. Their contradictory testimonies revealed that ideas in the section labeled “From the Translator” do not incite ethnic/national, social or religious hatred abusing, but there are some moments related to the promotion of the book.
Avaz Zeynalli filed a motion to consider the expert opinion unreliable and to conduct a new expertise since the witnesses gave contradictory accounts and did not answer questions that were sent to the expertise. The judge did not fulfill the motion and said that the investigation has been concluded, and final speeches will be made during the next hearing.
State Prosecutor Elfag Safarov said that a requisition should be obtained from the Internal Affairs Ministry to find out whether Avaz Zeynalli was convicted before.
The judge postponed the next hearing indefinitely until the requisition is obtained.
In December 2004 the National Security Ministry instituted a criminal case under the article 283.1 (incitement of ethnic/national, social or religious hatred) of the CC of Azerbaijan Republic when Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" was published in Azeri, however the case was thrown out in February 2005 due to failure to prove that a crime was committed. Then in May 2007 due to the reprinting of this book Rustam Usubov, first deputy to the Prosecutor General, reopened this case and the case was sent to the National Security Ministry's Investigation Department. In August of the same year the investigation was concluded and case materials were sent to Narimanov District Court for consideration.
The witnesses said that they had not been informed that the examination has connection to a criminal case, and none of them read this book. Their contradictory testimonies revealed that ideas in the section labeled “From the Translator” do not incite ethnic/national, social or religious hatred abusing, but there are some moments related to the promotion of the book.
Avaz Zeynalli filed a motion to consider the expert opinion unreliable and to conduct a new expertise since the witnesses gave contradictory accounts and did not answer questions that were sent to the expertise. The judge did not fulfill the motion and said that the investigation has been concluded, and final speeches will be made during the next hearing.
State Prosecutor Elfag Safarov said that a requisition should be obtained from the Internal Affairs Ministry to find out whether Avaz Zeynalli was convicted before.
The judge postponed the next hearing indefinitely until the requisition is obtained.
In December 2004 the National Security Ministry instituted a criminal case under the article 283.1 (incitement of ethnic/national, social or religious hatred) of the CC of Azerbaijan Republic when Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" was published in Azeri, however the case was thrown out in February 2005 due to failure to prove that a crime was committed. Then in May 2007 due to the reprinting of this book Rustam Usubov, first deputy to the Prosecutor General, reopened this case and the case was sent to the National Security Ministry's Investigation Department. In August of the same year the investigation was concluded and case materials were sent to Narimanov District Court for consideration.