On September 11 the Baku Grave Crimes Court held another hearing on the case of Tolishy Sado newspaper editor Hilal Mammadov. Judge Azer Orujov presided over the hearing. The proceeding continued with the speech by the public prosecutor. After a brief reference to the case, the prosecutor requested the court to sentence Mammadov to six years, which grossly dissatisfied the journalist and his family members. As a result, the prosecutor had to leave the courtroom. After a short break, the judge adjourned the trial until September 25, saying that he would listen to the defense lawyers’ speeches in the next hearing.
Background: Hilal Mammadov was arrested on 21 June 2012 and is charged with illegal possession of drugs in large quantities (Article 234.4.3/Criminal Code), treason (Article 274/Criminal Code), and incitement to national, racial, social and religious hatred and hostility (Article 283/Criminal Code).