On Tuesday, during the trial of the Abzas Media case, the defense filed several motions, but the court granted only one – allowing the accused to sit next to their defense lawyers. However, motions to dismiss the criminal case, return the case for further investigation, and change the preventive measure to house arrest were all rejected.
The court also denied the request to allow journalists into the courtroom and to permit video recording of the hearings. The substantive hearings of the case were scheduled for December 28.
According to relatives of the journalists, they have rejected all charges and remain in good spirits. The accused journalist Hafiz Babaly called on Judge Rasim Sadykhov not to carry out a political order and to review the case objectively. Representatives from several Western embassies were present at the trial.