Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend К.Zarbaliyeva / Approximately 30 lawsuit hearings regarding defamation were held in July 2007. Nine lawsuits on defamation resulted in payment of a fine and the arrest of 5 journalists. This was reported by the Media Rights Institute. Two appeals against Sas and Alternative newspapers ended in an amicable settlement. The lawsuit of Amina Rahimova, the regional journalist of the Public television, has been considered. The plaintiff has demanded the payment for moral damage of AZN 50,000 to each Mukhalifat, Kriminal alam and Muhakima newspapers.
The courts refused to change the sum of fines imposed on the Azadlyg on the basis of the lawsuit by the State Police Administration's police, and Baku Khabar newspapers on the basis of the lawsuit by the chairman of the Consumer community of Ujar region of Azerbaijan. The court trial regarding the arrest of Rovshan Kabirli, the Editor-in-Chief of the Mukhalifat newspaper, and Yashar Agazadeh, the editor of the newspaper, was postponed for a month. Official accusations were filed against the Editor-in-Chief of the Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan newspapers. The judge of Yasamal District Court dismissed the lawsuit brought by officials regarding the arrest of Ganimat Zahid, the Editor-in-Chief of the Azadlyg newspaper.