The court in Baku is trying a lawsuit of civil activists against Public Television

Hearing of a case on a lawsuit of nine youth organizations and branches of political parties against Public TV and Radio Company (PTRC) under the chairmanship of judge Metanet Gajieva started in Yasamal district court of Baku. 

The claimants demand acknowledgment of unlawfulness of a refusal of PTRC broadcasting company to reply to their informational request. Besides, they ask the court to oblige PTRC to produce an official answer to the request and provide the claimants with an airtime to speak on the problem of arrested youth activists.

On September, 26, a preparatory session on the lawsuit was held. The claimants were Rayil Abbasov (Head of the Committee for protection the rights of youth activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev) and Giunay Ismailova representing another claimant, Rasul Jafarov (Coordinator of Human Rights Club) took part in the trial. The defendant's attorney was Takhir Mamedov, Head of Public Relations Department of PTRC. 

Abbasov and Ismailova supported the statement of claim. Mamedov, in his turn, explained the absence of an answer stating that the signers did not specify their addresses. Ismailova said in reply that that the authors' return address was on the envelope of their letter to PTRC. 

Judge Gajieva suggested the representative of PTRC to give an official answer to the claimants' request and appointed the trial on October, 17. 

According to what Ismailova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, on May, 20, leaders of nine youth organizations appealed to Director General of PTRC Ismail Omarov asking for an airtime to speak on the problem of arrested youth activists. In particular, they meant social networks users Baktiytar Gajiev and Jabbar Savalan and a group of activists arrested in connection with the meeting of April, 2.

The signers of the message consider that the arrest of all the young people was based on forged charges and intended to explain their position in a live broadcast. 

However, the authors received no reply after three months waiting and for this reason they appealed to Yasamal district court. 

According to Ismailova, the claimants do not put a question of an indemnity payment but they demand acknowledgment of violation of their right and next following providing them with an airtime.