Today, 23 April, in the Nasimi District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Ikram Shirinov, a court hearing was held on the lawsuit of Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety Chairman Emin Huseynov against the Ministry of Interior, Nasimi District Police Department and Police Unit 22 of the Nasimi District Police Department.
The lawsuit stems from police pressure that Huseynov was subjected to in June 2008.
Emin Huseynov and his authoritative representative, Media Rights Institute Lawyer Elchin Sadigov, and lawyer of Nasimi District Police Department’s Police Unit #22 Mezahir Shahbarov took part in the hearing.
During today’s hearing testimony submitted by the defendant – Investigator of the Nasimi DPD Police Unit 22 Yunus Abdinov, the unit’s area legal representative Rafig Aliyev and Court Medical Examination Expert Jeyhun Allahverdiyev gave witness accounts regarding the incident before the court.
Y. Abdinov said during his testimony that on 15 June 2008 at 11:00 p.m. he received E. Huseynov’s statement on the incident, and medical expert was appointed on the statement.
The Court Medical Expert J. Allahverdiyev said that he came to the hospital at 6 p.m. on 15 June 2008 and doctors at the hospital had diagnosed Huseynov with closed head/brain trauma, however Allahverdiyev determined this diagnosis was false. E. Huseynov stated that the witnesses came to the hospital not on 15 June 2008, but rather several days after the incident.
After the testimony, the judge announced a break and scheduled the next hearing for 8 May at 10:00 a.m.
On 14 June, a group of fans of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevera was trying to conduct an event in "Alaturka" Restaurant when the employees of law enforcement organs interfered. IRFS Chairman Emin Huseynov, who was there observing and filming the event, was beaten by police in the Police Department 22. Emin Huseynov lost his consciousness due to police pressure and received treatment for more than twenty days in the hospital and is still receiving treatment.