Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr K. Zarbaliyeva / The appeal trial of the arrested editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani newspaper, Azadliq Ganimat Zahid was postponed, Zahid's attorney Elchin Sadiqli said. The petition urging an invite to the victim Vusal Hasanov was dismissed. The defence petitioned for participation of Zahid in the trial. The petition was allowed and the trial was postponed to 22 November.
Zahid was found guilty of assault and hooliganism. On 11 November, the Yasamal District Court in Baku sentenced Zahid to 2-month prison term.
Attorneys appealed against the sentence. The appeal is being considered at the Baku Appeal Court presided by judge Rizvan Safarov.
Zahid was attacked by Vusal Huseynov on 7 November and called the police, but based on accusations from his attacker he was arrested. The opposite side was also arrested.
If accusations are proved, Zahid will face a 3-year prison sentence.
International human rights organizations condemned Zahid's arrest and assessed it as pressure upon freedom of speech. Zahid considers his arrest to be provocation.
There are 8 detained journalists in Azerbaijan, mostly on abuse and defamation charges.