Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr K. Zarbliyeva / The court dismissed the appeal of the arrested editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani Azadliq newspaper Ganimat Zahid, his attorney Elchin Sadigli said to Trend. According to Sadig, Zahid participated in the hearing. The judge of the Baku Appeal Court Rizvan Safarov did not substantiate the arrest and upheld the decision of the Yasamal District Court.
Zahid was found guilty of assault and hooliganism. On 11 November, the Yasamal District Court in Baku sentenced Zahid to 2-month prison term.
The attorney will appeal to the European Court on Human Rights.
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.