Businessman Anar Mammadov, son of Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov, has filed a lawsuit against Yeni Musavat and Azadlig newspapers.
Mammadov made his appeal to the court citing personal humiliation and damage to his business reputation resulting from an article published in Azadlig on July 1st 2010: “Kamaladdin Heydarov’s bear eaten”. According to Azadlig editor Sujaddin Sharifov, Mammadov is demanding 250,000 AZN in compensation.
The article alleged that at a rest stop restaurant in Gabala, Anar Mammadov noticed a caged bear and ordered the chef to kill it and prepare it a bear kebab for him. He promised to pay 1 million AZN.
Sharifov said that the Azadlig editorial office has already received a notice that Yasamal District Court will hold a preliminary hearing on the case on December 1st. Yeni Musavat lawyer Vagif Huseyn said that they learnt this news from the press, but have not yet received a court notice.