On April 2nd, lawyer Yalchin Imanov met with jailed Xural newspaper editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalli in prison, reports Mediaforum.az news website.
“However, he is disappointed with the lack of investigative activities. It has been for a while, that no investigative action has been taken on his case, and the editor believes that the investigation is in no progress due to the investigators’ failure to find any evidence to find him guilty. Besides, he attributes it to his innocence and his ungrounded and illegal imprisonment. Avaz says that he will turn to different protest actions if the situation does not change,” said the lawyer.
BACKGROUND
Khural was published weekly from October 2002, and daily from September 20th, 2011. The property of the newspaper was confiscated by bailiffs on October 19 following its failure to pay a total of 19,000 AZN in court-issued fines to the head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, Mass Media State Support Fund Executive Director Vugar Safarli, and others. The newspaper was prevented from publishing on October 21st, when local printing houses refused to print the newspaper. On October 28th, Khural editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalli was detained by officers from the Anti-Corruption Department and sentenced to three months of pre-trial detention. His arrest was based on a complaint filed with the Anti-Corruption Department by ruling YAP MP Gular Ahmadova. A criminal case was launched against him under Articles 311.3.3 (taking a large bribe) and 311.3.4 (taking a bribe in conjunction with threats) of the Criminal Code by the Fight Against Corruption Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office.
Nasimi District Court sentenced Avaz Zeynalli to 3 months in jail, and on January 17th his term was extended for three months.