Journalists of Khayal TV, Reject Charges

The Khachmaz district court is continuing the trial on the  events in Guba of March 1, 2011. Yesterday, testimonies from the journalists of Khayal TV were heard.

The channel’s Executive Director, Vugar Gonagov, reported that on November 30, 2011, Guba’s municipality head, Elkhan Aliyev, came to him and asked for the video shot on 22 November. At this meeting, district head, Rauf Khabibov, insulted the people of Guba.

"I said on 23 November, upon instructions from the district administration, we erased the records. Elkhan Aliyev said that he had a record and asked me to cut a piece from the chief executive speech. Elkhan Aliyev said a complaint went to Baku stating Khabibov had insulted the local people and needed the video," said Gonagov.

Gonagov learned from colleagues the video had been put on the Internet.  Elkhan Aliyev then again asked him for the video, but now it was common on the Internet.

"I rewrote the video onto two disks in different formats and deposited them at Zaur Guliyev. Then I gave them to Elkhan Aliyev. The YouTube logo was on these recordings,” said Gonagov.

On February 25, Gonagov was called into Guba’s Executive Power office and asked how he could withdraw the video from social networks, circulated on behalf of Mustafa Nurullayev. "I called and asked my colleagues, and they said this was not possible," said Gonagov.

He also said that he was arrested on 13 March, and that he was not charged until the 17th. "There it is written that I allegedly, at the suggestion from municipality head, Elkhan Aliyev produced the video and that Mustafa Nurullayev had posted it on the Internet," said Gonagov. He noted that at the preliminary investigation, he gave evidence under pressure, in the absence of a counsel.

In turn, the editor of Khayal TV, Zaur Guliyev, also pleaded not guilty. He said that he did not have anything to do with cutting the head of the area speech out of the channel’s materials, and even more, to their online distribution.

The process continues on January 9. In this case, there are still four people, including Guba’s municipality head, Elkhan Aliyev. They are charged under Article 233 (organization of public disorder or participation in) and 309.2 (abuse of power) of the Criminal Code.

Earlier on, three groups, numbering 24, have been convicted in relation to theses events. Of these, six people were sentenced to prison, and the others received suspended sentences.

* On March 1, several thousand residents of Guba, (168 km north of Baku), staged a rally demanding the resignation of the district Chief Executive, Rauf Khabibov. The protest’s cause was an Internet video that exposed Khabibov making insulting statements about the locals. The protest turned into a riot, during which Khabibov’s villa was burned, and the district executive building was damaged. Troops were called to the town. The next day, Khabibov was dismissed as head of the district. -06D-