Consideration of the appeal of the journalist Seymour Hazy

  On 28 July the Baku Court of Appeal on July 28 considered complaints  of Seymour Hazy ,  the columnist of the newspaper "Azadlig", a leading television program "Azerbaijani hour"  against the verdict of the trial court.

On  August 29, 2014 at a bus stop Hasanov Maharram approached the journalist and insulted him, then attacked with fists. To protect himself the attacker  Hazy  hit the man with a  bottle ion his hand. Immediately  came police,  detained Hazy, and took himto the  police office.

Seymour Hazy was one of the leading columnists of the opposition newspaper "Azadlig", as well as the leading online TV "Azerbaijan Saat," which sharply criticizes the authorities.

On 29 July, 2015 the Absheron District Court sentenced  him to 5 years in prison for hooliganism, and the  attacker Muharram Hasanov was sentenced only to six months in jail.

During the meeting in the Court of Appeal, the lawyer Adil Ismayilov petitioned  that  Hazy  sit not n the iron cage, but next to  his lawyer. The court granted the petition.  The request for re-trial was partially granted. Thus, the court agreed to summon  to the trial another accused - Hasanov. Another part of the request will be considered in the further proceedings.

Hazy said that his arrest is connected with the journalist activities. He noted that the pressure on him and  his relatives  Ganimat Zahid, head of the program "Azerbaijani hour" is because  this programs criticize the authorities.

"Ilham Aliyev is intolerant to criticism. He  struggles against critics. First they arrested me, and now relatives  of Ganimat Zahid. Pressure was  made even  on 87-year-old mother of Ganimat. All these actions are beyond moral and ethical limits. I do not expect justice from the Court ," said Hazy.  The next  trial will be held on September 22.  -03B-