Hafiz Babaly claims falsity of publication on Qafqazinfo.az

The Narimanov district court of Baku has today completed the preparatory hearing on the suit of editor of economic news department of Turan Agency Hafiz Babaly against the Internet publication Qafqazinfo.az.

Babaly's participation was ensured at the hearing. The suit was filed in connection with the publication on 28 December 2023 on the website Qafqazinfo.az. of the article: "New details on the case of Hafiz Babaly".

 The plaintiff believes that the article contained defamatory and insulting information defaming Babaly's honor, dignity and business reputation as an investigative journalist.

In particular, the article claimed that ‘Babaly, having established contacts with foreign organizations and foundations due to grant projects, conducted investigations and prepared articles on their behalf’.

Babaly called the allegation a slander because he did not make any investigations commissioned by foreign organizations and foundations, nor published articles commissioned by them.  Investigations were a part of his journalistic activities, which always respected the ethical principles and norms of journalism.

Furthermore, no one has ever made any claims about the investigations and articles published, and the information in these materials has not been refuted by any administrative body or challenged in court.

Babaly also labeled as slanderous the allegation that "projects involving Hafiz Babaly also involved Azerbaijani political emigrants in Europe."

Babaly asked the court to oblige the publication to refute the defamatory statements, apologize to him and pay him compensation in the amount of AZN 9900, and to oblige the editorial office to pay court expenses in the amount of AZN 119.

Lawyer Rasul Jafarov, supporting the suit, also requested to summon to court a representative of the Baku city police headquarters, where the investigation against Babaly on charges of smuggling is being conducted.

The court granted the motion.

The representative of Qafqazinfo.az asked not to satisfy the suit without giving any arguments in favor of it.

Judge Sabina Nuriyeva appointed the hearing on the merits for 11 June.

* Hafiz Babaly was detained on 13 December.  He was charged with "smuggling of foreign currency". By court decision, he was placed in pre-trial detention for three months. Babaly is involved in the "Abzas Media" case’. Human rights activists recognized Babaly as a political prisoner.--