Azerbaijan, Baku, 7 September / Trend corr. K.Zarbaliyeva/ The Media Rights Institute (MRI) released its next report regarding the state of media rights in Azerbaijan in August.
A total of 43 court hearings against media took place in August. Only one verdict was in favour of media. The Yasamal District Court rejected the lawsuit of Tahmasib Novruzov, popular as founder of the Freedom Movement Association, against Azadlig newspaper. Novruzov demanded to deprive Azadlig of license and to fine it AZN 150,000.
Another lawsuit against media was withdrawn. Deputy Chief of the Ecology & Natural Resources Ministryїs Department on Improvement and Protection of Biological Resources in Water Basins Gabil Mammadov, who demanded compensation of AZN 150,000, withdrew his lawsuit against the Gundalik Baki newspaper.
The rest verdicts were not in favour of media.
According to MRI, Afgan Mukhtarli, an employee of the Yeni Musavat newspaper, faced pressure from police during a public figures demonstration. Nasimi Police officers illegally kept him for 2 hours. The journalist, famous for his critical articles and reportages, had many times faced pressure from police and had been several times illegally detained. The facts were not investigated by any relevant structure.
Regional correspondents of the Azadlig Radio Ilgar and Malahat Nasibovs, as well as a representative of the Institute for Reportersї Freedom and Safety Elman Abbasov underwent an attack during fulfilment of their professional duties in the Babak Region of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan.
No progress was observed in investigation of journalist-related battery and threat facts last month.
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