Summary: Hearing 5 (January 29)   Ø  Victim Mahammad Gurbanov testified that no harm had been caused to him and that he has no complaint against Mammad Ibrahim; Ø  Yalchin Imanov's motion to interrogate Mubariz Suleymanov as an additional witness was left unconsidered. Suleymanov led the initial investigation of the criminal case against Mammad Ibrahim, Narimanov District Court, chaired by Judge Turgay Huseynov, held

    On December 1, the final court hearing on the lawsuit brought by Masalli regional executive power head Rafil Huseynov against the acting Editor-in-Chief of cenubnews.com website, Miralam Hashimov. According to the court’s decision, the journalist has been fined 2000 AZN. The journalist rejected the charges, saying that the published articles did not insult anyone, let alone the Rafil Huseynov – the article did not even include the

Appeals Court upholds verdict against Khadija Ismayilova   Summary: Last hearing (November 25)   At the hearing, defense counsel Fariz Namazli submitted a motion requesting that Khadija Ismayilova sit next to her lawyers; At the hearing, defense lawyers made speeches in which they asked for Ismayilova’s acquittal; Khadija Ismayilova made a speech explicitly linking her arrest to her work as a journalist; The public prosecutor asked the

On November 19, the hearing on the case of Gunel Hasanli, daughter of National Council Chairman Jamil Hasanli, continued in the Baku Court of Appeal, chaired by the judge Aflatun Gasimov. Gunel Hasanli’s lawyer Adil Ismayilov made a speech at the hearing.   “I believe that what I am going to say here today will not influence your decision, as I am not so naïve as to believe that it is you who makes the decision in this case. I know that

On February 19 the Baku Appeals Court, presided by Judge Ilgar Damirov, heard the appeal filed by the Azadliq newspaper against the fine imposed on the newspaper based on the lawsuit of Kabira Mammadova, owner of the Bina Shopping Center. Media Rights Institute director, lawyer Rashid Hajili told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety that the appeal was denied by the court. (more…)