12:04, 24 November 2008

Court rejects convicted journalist's claim against Azerbaijani MFA head

Today, the Yasamal District Court of Baku, presided by Judge Fardy Mekhraliev, has rejected the claim filed by Einullah Fatullaev, imprisoned founder and editor-in-chief of the newspapers "Real Azerbaijan" and "Gyundelik Azerbaijan", against Elmar Mamedyarov, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan.

In his claim the journalist asked the court to treat Mamedyarov's failure to answer Fatullaev's official inquiry about his criminal case as illegal act.

Journalist's advocate Isakhan Ashurov has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the court had considered the journalist's claim formally and passed its decision in MFA's favour practically without any consideration. "Alas, we have confronted another absence of fair trial and rough violation of human rights," he said.

According to the advocate, the court decision will be appealed against at higher instances up to the European Court for Human Rights.

Author: Faik Medzhid, CK correspondent