Bank Account of Newspaper Azadlig Arrested

Media Rights Institute (MRI) made a statement, in which it condemned the arrest of the bank account of the Azadlig newspaper. MRI sees this as undue pressure on the popular edition. MRI at the same time regrets that the government did not respond to the unlawful decision, aimed at oppressing the opposition media.

Over the past year, officials, deputies and other related persons from the government filed 10 lawsuits against Azadlig and its staff. The claims came from the Chief of the Baku Metro Tagi Ahmadov, MP Novruzali Aslanov, the head of the shopping center Bina Kabira Mammadova and the businessman Anar Mammadov. The newspaper was imposed sanctions in the amount of more than 65 thousand manats (about 65,000 euros).

 4,200 AZN of the specified sum was the suit from the chief of ZQAN Holding, son of the Minister of Transport Ziya Mammadov, Anar Mammadov, which is to be paid to the House of Mentally Ill Elderly in the Buzovna settlement.

The Yasamal district department of execution of legal verdicts used this very claim against the newspaper, citing the need for execution of the verdict. According to MRI, the decision was accompanied by serious violations of the law.

 Thus, last week the newspaper filed a judicial complaint in connection with the presentation of the claim for execution of the decision on the lawsuit.

 According to Article 17 of the Law "On the execution of court decisions," in a case of dispute on compensation on a claim the execution should be suspended until the end of the dispute.

The arrest of the paper’s bank account paralyzes its activity, which entails responsibility for preventing the legitimate activities of journalists

MRI believes that this decision is aimed at addressing the Azadlig newspaper for its ensuring pluralism. MRI called on the government to repeal the illegal decision and take action against those responsible for the violations. -06B -