The Court of Appeal Again Rejected Hearings on the Case of Blocking Sites

Baku/05.12.17/Turan: The meeting on the complaint on blocking a number of sites criticizing the government of Azerbaijan failed againtook place on Tuesday in the Baku Court of Appeal under the chairmanship of Abidin Huseynov .The hearings were postponed to 16:30 on the 19th of December. The trial is postponed for the second time.

The reason for the transfer is not the representatives of the Ministry of Communications and the electronic security center of this department, which was brought in as a third party.

Earlier, on November 7 the meeting was postponed because of the official trip of the judge.

The Electronic Security Center on March 27 blocked a number of independent and opposition sites: azadliq.info (Azadlig newspaper site), azadliq.org (Azadlig Radio), azerbaycansaati.com ("Azerbaijan Hour" program, broadcasting from Europe), meydan.tv and Turan TV (an opposition television channel broadcasting from Europe).

After that, the ministry appealed to the court to approve the decision, accusing the websites of violating the "legitimate interests of society and the state", calls for religious radicalism, etc.

Representatives of the sites rejected these allegations and indicated that the blocking of sites is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Court's decision on the case of blocking sites in Turkey, the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of 2016.

It was pointed out that restrictions could only concern specific individual information. Nevertheless, on May 12, the Sabail District Court granted a claim against the sites. Defendants filed an appeal.

It should also be noted that in June of this year "Radio Azadlig" filed a complaint against the government of Azerbaijan for the obstacles to the activities being carried out for the activity in the country. Thus, in December 2014 a search was carried out at the Baku bureau, whose office was sealed. Against the radio, charges have been brought, two of which are related to tax evasion.

"Radio Azadlig" challenged the actions of the authorities, but courts at all levels rejected the complaints.

In August, Radio Azadlig asked for information on the progress of the investigation, asking for the return of the stamp, seal and documents seized in 2014.

"Radio Azadlig" also asked to unblock his bank accounts, on which 70 thousand dollars were frozen. The government, although notified of the receipt of the letter, but no response was provided. In the statement of Radio Azadlig, the ECHR raises issues of violations of the rights of the structure guaranteed under articles 6.1 (the right to a fair trial) and 13 (the right to effective legal remedies). -03B-