Trial on the case of Editor-in-Chief of “Khural” newspaper recommenced in Baku

On July, 25, after more than a three-week break trial on the case of Editor-in-Chief of “Khural” newspaper Avaz Zeinalov under the chairmanship of judge Ramella Allahverdieva recommenced in the court for grave crimes of Baku.

At the session of July, 25, Zeinalov moved challenge to Public prosecutor Ramazan Khadyev for the reason of his “partiality and political motivations”. However, the judge dismissed the motion considering it “unfounded”.

After that the defendant moved challenge to judge Allahverdieva considering that she was fulfilling a “political instruction”.

Judge Allahverdieva said in reply that the criminal case against Zeinalov was just one of the numerous cases she considered and was of no special political interest. The judge called the journalist’s accusations against her a “pure invention”. As a result, challenge to the judge was dismissed.

Then witness Akif Mamedov, Head of “Kurort” public corporation, spoke at the trial. According to him, in 2006 “Khural” newspaper published “slanderous articles” about him.

To stop publication of the articles which in Mamedov’s opinion compromised him he passed Zeinalov 4 thousand US dollars through his friend Khanoglan Magerramov.

Magerramov confirmed at the trial that he gave the money to Zeinalov.

Zeinalov himself declared that he neither extorted nor took the money. “The whole charge is forged an based on false evidence”, Zeinalov declared.