Today (4 September) in the Yasamal District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Tahir Ismayilov, a hearing was conducted on Apartment Exploitation Service Unit of the Defense Ministry's soldier Ali Yusifov's lawsuit against "Gundalik Baki" Newspaper Editor-in-chief and founder Habil Valiyev .
The hearing continued with speeches from both sides.
The state prosecutor spoke during the hearing, and demanded that Valiyev be found guilty and imprisoned for one year and ten months.
Valiyev’s defense lawyer Mirzammad Rahimov said that Valiyev is innocent and the lawsuit filed against him is spurious. Rahimov stated that Valiyev was sued for publishing continuous critical articles about the Defense Ministry in the newspaper. At the end of his speech, the lawyer asked that Valiyev be exonerated.
In the end, the judge postponed the hearing to announce the verdict tomorrow (5 September) at 10:00 a.m.
"Gundalik Baki" Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Habil Valiyev is accused under articles 188 (violation of the right to land) and 315.1 (using force to resist a government representative fulfilling their duties) of the Criminal Code. Valiyev allegedly built a house for weddings and funerals on land that belongs to the Ministry of Defense and injured soldier Yusifov while this house was being torn down by soldiers from the Apartment Exploitation Service Unit of the Defense Ministry, and as a result the soldier's pinky finger was injured.