Today (3 September) a court hearing on the lawsuit filed against the court decision that was issued by the Nasimi District Court in connection with the stabbing of "Azadlig" Newspaper journalist Agil Khalil, was supposed to take place in the Baku Appellate Court.
Agil Khalil’s defense lawyer Elchin Sadigov filed a motion in the Appellate Court and asked to conduct the hearing in the form of a court investigation. The Appellate court didn’t fulfill the motion, and Sadigov filed a cassation complaint regarding his motion. Therefore the judge ordered to continue this trial after the decision of Court of Cassation is announced.
Sergey Strekalin was convicted on 15 July 2008 of stabbing "Azadlig" Newspaper correspondent Agil Khalil and for illegal possession of narcotics, and sentenced to one year and six months imprisonment. Strekalin admitted to the stabbing, but he denies the accusations regarding narcotics. Therefore he filed an appeal complaint.
A. Khalil has openly stated that he was not stabbed by Strekalin, but rather by law enforcement employees. He has also filed an appeal against the court's verdict.