Today, the Baku Appeals Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Madina Bagirova, heard the appeal filed by lawyer Khalid Bagirov against the November 3, 2011 ruling of Nasimi District Court to uphold the Bar of Lawyer’s decision to expel Bagirov from the Bar for one year.
Saying that the Bar had no legal grounds to expel him, Bagirov assessed the Bar’s decision as pressure on him, and said that he considers the ruling of the Nasimi District Court to be unlawful. Bagirov’s disbarment stems from an appeal sent by Rafig Abbasov, the deputy chief of Baku City Head Police Office, to the Bar of Lawyers, complaining that the lawyer’s statement in the media claimeding that citizen Elvin Asgarov was beaten to death by police, dishonored the police. “Based on this appeal and citing the dissemination of a legal secret, the Bar suspended my membership for one year,” Bagirov said. He added that his lawsuit against this decision was rejected by the Nasimi District Court.
The Bar of Lawyers representative, Altay Muradov, said that any information given to an attorney constitutes a secret and its dissemination in the media is a violation of the law, regardless of whether or not it had already been unveiled by others. He asked the Court not to grant the appeal and uphold the decision of the Nasimi District Court.
After deliberation, the Judge decided not to grant the appeal.
The Bar of Lawyers representative, Altay Muradov, said that any information given to an attorney constitutes a secret and its dissemination in the media is a violation of the law, regardless of whether or not it had already been unveiled by others. He asked the Court not to grant the appeal and uphold the decision of the Nasimi District Court.
After deliberation, the Judge decided not to grant the appeal.