Trial of Zeynalli heard recordings

The trial of the chief editor of Khural Avaz Zeynalli December 19 heard recordings of conversations with the main complainant that accused him, a former Member of Parliament Gular Akhmedova.

Recall that the journalist was arrested in October 2011 on the basis of the statement by Akhmedova that Zeynalli extorted from her a bribe. Subsequently Zeynalli was presented accusations of dereliction of judgments and tax evasion.

At the court session in the Baku Court of Grave Crimes December 19, the prosecution presented the discs with audio and telephone conversations between Zeynalli and Akhmedova and their conversation in the newspaper Khural.

The sound of the telephone conversation was almost illegible and Zeynalli said it was not his voice.

The second recording was secretly recorded on tape by Akhmedova.

During the voiced 5-minute recording of the conversation Akhmedov was interested in, the number of copies produced by the Khural newspaper and the cost of their publication. Learning number "52", she also considered the cost and called the amount 26,000 manat, and then added that she could give only 10 thousand manats.

Zeynalli in turn, drew attention to the fact that "she came and called some amount by herself." "I told her that I did not need anything," said Zeynalli.

According to him, Akhmedova was instructed and sent to him by the head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev and the head of the public policy department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov.

He stated that he did not take bribes from Akhmedova, or from others.

Zeynalli expressed outrage that while Akhmedova was a defendant in a corruption scandal, which also involved Mehdiyev, he haws been detained for 14 months on trumped-up charges.

The next hearing on the case is scheduled for 15.00 on 26 December. ---06D -