Bailiffs put pressure on the correspondent of "Azadlig" newspaper

A reporter  of  "Azadlig"  newspaper, Ramin Deco, was summoned to the Department  for Execution of Judgments  in the Yasamal district, where he was demanded to  pay 2000 manat within 10 days on the claim by the head of  “Bina”  shopping center, Kyabira Mamedova.

The journalist said he did not have such a sum, and added that he had not been paid salary for two months because of the arrest of the bank account of “Azadlig” newspaper (on the claim of the same Mamedova.)

In addition, the journalist believes the penalty imposed on him was illegal.

This happened after the publication of material on illegal collections in the “Bina” shopping center in summer of 2012. The protest action against the money extortion in January 2012, confirmed the facts presented in the publications by Deco.

Deco appealed to the Media Rights Institute (MRI) for legal assistance. The Director of MRI, Rashid Hajili, called the fine against the journalist ungrounded.  The MRI will appeal to the court regarding the absence of a means of the journalist to pay a compensation, and with a request to suspend the execution of the decision.

With regard to possible the penalties, the journalist can be brought to pay administrative fines for not executing the judgment, but bailiffs must prove that he has 2,000 manat. –06В--