Chief Editor of "Khural" newspaper is again placed in the city detention center

Status of the founder and chief editor of "Khural" newspaper, Avaz Zeynally, has changed suddenly; the condemned has suddenly become a plaintiff, and therefore was transferred from the prison N10 to the city detention center.

The reason is the claim made by the journalist two years ago against the Press Council of Azerbaijan. Then the chairman of Narimanov district court of Baku, Mazakhir Sadykhov, and the board of the Baku Court of Appeal refused to consider the case, but the Supreme Court of the Azerbaijan Republic, citing a lack of reasons for the refusal, returned the claim to the first instance for consideration. 

The trial in Narimanov district court held on June 23 was postponed for uncertain period due to absence of a responsible representative of the Press Council. 

According to Elchin Sadigov, a lawyer of the Media Rights Institute, representing the interests of the founder of "Khural" newspaper, a petition on Zeynalli’s participation in the trial was sent to the court. He was willing to personally defend the position of the publication. "I am the most informed in this matter, therefore I ask you to ensure my presence in court," said the lawyer with reference to the chief editor. 

After the lawsuit of Ramiz Mehdiyev, the Head of the Presidential Administration, against the "Khural" newspaper, the Press Council included onto a "black" list of newspapers the racketeers whose activity is undesirable. It happened a month before the arrest of Zeynally, because the editor regarded it as a political order, and filed a lawsuit against the journalistic organization.

Zeynally said that in the case of an unfair trial of the case, he would appeal to all the instances, up to the European Court of Human Rights. "We know where from comes the order to eliminate the Azerbaijani press. The executors and those who order should be legally punished," said Zeynally.—0—