On November 7, Masalli Regional Court chaired by Judge Anar Almammadov held a preliminary hearing of the private prosecution brought by Rafil Huseynov, the governor of Masalli region, against journalist Miralam Hashimov.
According to journalist’s lawyer Javad Javadov, the court considered the lawsuit unfounded and refused to accept it for proceedings.
Background: Rafil Huseynov, the head of Masalli Regional Executive Power, demands that cenubnews.com website founder and chief editor Miralam Hashimov be held criminally responsible. Huseynov has brought a private prosecution in court and wants Miralam Hashimov to be punished under Article 147.2 (libel that involves accusing someone of a serious crime) of the Criminal Code. The governor refers to an article and videos titled “Pensioners Protest in Masalli: Road Blocked” posted on cenubnews.com on 24 September 2016 as the reason for filing his complaint.