The court in Azerbaijan fined newspapers "Eni Musavat" and "Azaglyg"

On January, 23, Yasamal district court of Baku partially granted a lawsuit of Anar Mamedov, Minister of Transport of Azerbaijan, against oppositional newspapers "Eni Musavat" and "Azaglyg".

Anar Mamedov is Chairman of Board of directors of "ZQAN Holdinq" group of companies. The lawsuits were submitted in connection with an article "Kiamaleddin Geidarov' bear eaten" in "Azadlyg" (July, 1, 2010) and "Eni Musavat" (July, 2, 2010) and also an article in the same newspaper "The Sheikh banished Anar Mamedov from Dubai" published on September, 14, 2010.

The first article ran that during a celebration in Gabala Anar Mamedov ordered to stick a bear and make a shashlik out of it. According to the newspaper's sources, Mamedov paid 1 million manats for it (1 manat is equal to 37,87 rubles - note by the "Caucasian Knot"). The other article was devoted to Mamedov'd banishment from Dubai for a debauch he allegedly made in "Biurj Dubai" restaurant.

At the trial on January, 23, under the chairmanship of Elchin Gurbanov the plaintiff's attorney Nikhat Akhundov demanded to acknowledge the contents of the articles a denigration and a damage to the plaintiff's business reputation and exact 500 thousand manats from the newspapers. He also demanded publishing a refutation by the newspapers. According to the attorney, the sum exacted will be granted to nursing home No 9 in the settlement of Buzovna.

Vagif Gusein, attorney of "Eni Musavat" objected estimating the case as a "contract" one. In reply the judge fined Gusein to 50 manats for speaking without the judge's permission. The attorney of "Eni Musavat" left the courtroom as a sign of protest, "Contact online news" reports.

The judge partially granted the lawsuit and exacted 4 thousand manats from the newspapers in total. The newspapers must also publish refutations and offer their apologies, "APA" reports.