The European Court of Human Rights has issued a decision on the appeal of “Mukhalifat” Newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Rovshan Kabirli (Mahmudov) and Department Editor Yashar Agazade which they filed in 2004. The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety was told this by Y.Agazade. According to Agazade, the court issued a decision asking to pay him and Kabirli 1000 EUR for moral damages, 925 EUR for court expenses.
An article entitled “Wheat mafia in Azerbaijan” was published in “Mukhalifat” Newspaper in April 2003, according to Aagazade. “Because of this article Academic Jalal Aliyev (President Ilham Aliyev’s uncle) filed a special lawsuit against under articles 147 and 148 of the Criminal Code,” said Agazade. “In the Yasamal District Court Judge Fakhraddin Agamirzayev adopted a decision to sentence us both to five months imprisonment. However, we were released free from the court hall since the amnesty act of Milli Mejlis was in force in 2003,” noted Agazade, adding that due to this they appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.