MP and Academic, Jalal Aliyev, has filed a civil lawsuit against Yeni Musavat newspaper and newspaper’s deputy editor-in-chief Azer Aykhan. The Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was told this by Yeni Musavat newspaper’s lawyer Vagif Huseyn. The lawyer said that J.Aliyev appealed to the Nizami District Court demanding that Yeni Musavat newspaper and Azer Aykhan pay 50 thousand AZN in compensation and publish a refutation in the newspaper.
The lawsuit stems from article “The owner of the hotel that the President was dissatisfied with identified; ‘Baku hotel’s owner is J.Aliyev.”
In the near past J.Aliyev filed a lawsuit in the special format under articles 147 (defamation) and 148 (insult) of the Criminal Code claiming that the information in this article was degrading to his honor and dignity and does not conform to reality. On 10 February 2010 the judge adopted a decision to throw out the case claiming that the lawsuit was not prepared in accordance with the demands of the legislation. The plaintiff filed an appeal against this decision. However, he rescinded it on 4 May.
MP Jalal Aliyev is the brother of late President Heydar Aliyev and the uncle of the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev.
Yeni Musavat newspaper has been published since 1992 and operates as daily newspaper and has large circulation.