Court dismissed the claim of A.Zeynalli against the Press Council

Consideration of a   civil  claim of the convicted editor of " Khural" newspaper, Avaz Zeynally, against  the Press Council in the Narimanov District Court, completed  today.

Zeynally asked to find illegal the decision adopted by  the Press Council in September 2011  on declaring  the "Khural"  as a "racketeering newspaper",  and its inclusion in the "black list".

The plaintiff saw  in this damage  to the business reputation of the newspaper, and asked the court to make a particular decision with regard to the Press Council about the abuse of power.

However, the court rejected the claim. Now Zeynally intends to appeal the court's decision in the higher courts of the European Court of Human Rights.

Zeynally was arrested in October 2011 on the basis of the complaint of extortion by the claim of then MP Guler Ahmadova. Later Ahmadova  herself was arrested, and is under investigation for fraud; Zeynally has been sentenced to nine years in prison for extortion and tax evasion and enforcement of the judgment. International organizations have recognized him as a political prisoner. -16D06-