Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. E.Huseynli / The preliminary hearing on the case of Eynulla Fatullayev, the editor-in-chief of the Realni Azerbaijan and Gundalik Azerbaijan newspapers was held under the chair of the Judge Mehti Asadov in the Court of Heinous crimes.
The criminal case has been brought against Fatullayev with theArticle 214.1 (terror threat) and 283.2.2 (abuse of service powers to provoke social, national, race and religious hostility) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
In compliance with the lawsuit brought by Tatyana Chaladzeh, the head of the Centre on Protection of Rights of Refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs), on 20 April Fatullayev was charged with Article147 (calumny) and was sentenced to two years half in prison.
The Azerbaijani National Security Ministry instituted new proceeding against Fatullayev on terror threat facts in 16 May. Fatullayev was removed from the Bayil investigation cell to the National Security Ministry's isolated cell.
Isakhan Ashurov, Fattulayev's attorney, expressed protest and stated Hikmat Hajizadeh and Zardusht Alizadeh must be instituted to witness on the case. The attorney said Fatullayev should be released due to the lack of grounded charges brought against him.
The next court trial will be on 10 October.