Today, the 20th of August, in the Narimanov District Court, under the chairmanship of judge Akif Ismayilov, a preliminary hearing was held on the lawsuit of the State Support Fund for Development of Mass Media under the President of Azerbaijan Republic executive director Vugar Safarli against Khural newspaper.
The plaintiff’s representatives Aydin Karimov and Rashad Rahimov, and defendant Khural newspaper editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalli participated in the hearing.
Avaz Zeynalli filed a motion for Vugar Safarli to take part in the hearings. The plaintiff’s representatives objected to the motion; however, the judge fulfilled it.
The judge did not give permission to take pictures or film during the hearing and scheduled the next hearing on this case for the 13th of September at noon.
BACKGROUND
Vugar Safarli claimed that his honor and dignity were offended by the expression ‘press butcher’ that was in the article 'Ilham Aliyev is not the president of Khural newspaper' published in Khural’s 25-31 July issue, and filed a lawsuit demanding for a refutation to be published in the newspaper and for 10, 000 AZN in compensation,” said Avaz Zeynalli.
Khural newspaper was established in October 2002 and is published once a week.
The State Support Fund for Development of Mass Media was created by a decree signed by Azerbaijan Republic's President Ilham Aliyev on the 3rd of April, 2009. Vugar Safarli was appointed the executive director of the Fund by a decree signed by the president in May 2009.