Today, April 4th, the Yasamal District Court held a preliminary hearing on the lawsuit filed by the Baku Chief Police Office Head Rafig Abbasov against Bizim Yol reporter Haji Zeynalov and attorney Khalid Bagirov. Judge Elchin Gurbanov presided over the hearing.
Zeynalov asked the court to postpone the hearing, citing he has not been provided with the lawsuit statement and demanded time to familiarize himself with it.
After deliberation, judge Elchin Gurbanov scheduled the next hearing to April 11.
BACKGROUND
Baku City Police Office Chief Rafig Abbasov filed a lawsuit against Bizim Yol reporter Haji Zeynalov and lawyer Khalid Bagirov under Article 147.2 (libeling someone with grave crime). He cites the March 1 2011 articles of Haji Zeynalov titled “The arrested persons need a baton rather than a lawyer” and “Lawyer Khalid Bagirov offers to hold protests with this slogan,” and claims the article was nothing but slander. Specifically, according to him, in the second article, the author allegedly claims that the citizen Elvin Asgarov was beaten to death a while ago at Police station #25 of Nizami District Police Office.
After deliberation, judge Elchin Gurbanov scheduled the next hearing to April 11.
BACKGROUND
Baku City Police Office Chief Rafig Abbasov filed a lawsuit against Bizim Yol reporter Haji Zeynalov and lawyer Khalid Bagirov under Article 147.2 (libeling someone with grave crime). He cites the March 1 2011 articles of Haji Zeynalov titled “The arrested persons need a baton rather than a lawyer” and “Lawyer Khalid Bagirov offers to hold protests with this slogan,” and claims the article was nothing but slander. Specifically, according to him, in the second article, the author allegedly claims that the citizen Elvin Asgarov was beaten to death a while ago at Police station #25 of Nizami District Police Office.