Today, 19 November, in the Nasimi District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Ikram Shirinov, a hearing was conducted on the lawsuit of “Tolishi Sado” Newspaper Editor-in-chief N.Mammadov`s wife Maryam Mammadova and son Emil Mammadov against the Finance Ministry, the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Services, the Chief Medical Office of the Justice Ministry, Prison #15 and the Penitentiary Service’s Treatment Facility for the journalist’s death.

The judge said that Novruzali Mammadov’s medical history documents were submitted to the court by the Medical Head Office. This information came from the motion that the plaintiff’s lawyer Ramiz Mammadov filed last week.  
Ramiz Mammadov filed a motion asking for time to be familiarized with the documents. Judge I.Shirinov fulfilled the motion and scheduled the next hearing for 23 November at 3:30 p.m.
Maryam and Emil Mammadov asked the court to consider the failure by the defendants to execute the decision (6 February 2009, #6(007)-7/09) of the Nizami District Court regarding late Novruzali Mammadov’s examination and treatment a law violation (inaction), and to be paid a 3,000,000 AZN (three million AZN) compensation in return for moral damages caused as a result of the defendants’ negligence.      
“Tolishi Sado” Newspaper Editor-in-chief N.Mammadov died in the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Services’ Central Hospital on 17 August 2009. Mammadov was transferred to the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Services Central Hospital on 28 July 2009 after his health worsened. His relatives claim that he did not receive necessary treatment and as a result he died.  In 2007, during a closed hearing, N.Mammadov was sentenced to ten year imprisonment under article 274 (treason) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic. However, N.Mammadov, who had Talysh nationality, did not consider himself guilty and claimed that his arrest was related to ethnic-political motives and freedom of speech.