Consideration of Complaint by Seymour Hazy in Supreme Court Scheduled for 13 April

The hearing of the cassation appeal of the journalist Seymour Hazy has been appointed by the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan on April 13. At the trial, which will be held under the chairmanship of Ilham Jafarov, Hazy's participation is expected.

The lawyer Adil Ismayilov in the appeal asks to cancel the decisions of the lower courts and to stop prosecuting the journalist on justificatory grounds.

The journalist denies the charge and says it is politically motivated. Local and international human rights organizations have recognized him as a political prisoner.

* On August 29, 2014 at a bus stop a Maharram Hasanov approached the journalist and began to insult him. Then he lashed out at Hazy and began to beat him. In self-defense, Hazy hit the assailant with a bottle he had in his hand. Immediately the police came and detained Hazy and delivered him to the police department. Seymour Hazy is one of the leading columnists of the opposition newspaper Azadlig, as well as a leader of the Azerbaijani Hour program broadcast via satellite and Internet television, sharply criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. -06D-