JOURNALIST’S LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE NOT FULFILLED

June 13th, 2008
Yesterday (June 12) in the Sabayil District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Famil Nasibov, a hearing was conducted on “Yukselish Namina” Newspaper employee Elchin Hasanov’s lawsuit against employees of Sabayil District Police Department #9.

Hasanov told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety that his lawsuit was fulfilled.

Recall that on 14 December 2007 Hasanov reported being harassed by police while covering picket a about the unjust imprisonment of "Azadlig" Newspaper Editor-in-Chief G. Zahid and pressure against the expression of freedom in Azerbaijan. According to Hasanov he was brought to Sabail District Police Department #9, where he was allegedly beat and insulted.

This lawsuit stems from 23 November 2006, when Hasanov was arrested and imprisoned for 10 days while he was covering as a journalist a picket against the eviction of “Azadlig” Newspaper, Azerbaijan’s Popular Front Party, “Turan” News Agency, IRFS, and so on from their offices at 33 Khagani Street.

In January 2007 Hasanov a filed a claim in the Sabayil District Court demanding the institution of a criminal case against Police Department Chief Hasan Abdullayev and other employees of the same department. The claim was not considered for a long period of time and then discarded. Only after Hasanov appealed to Court Rights Council, was the claim accepted for consideration.