Sabailsky District Court answers to claim of ANS against Azadlyg newspaper

The trial in the case of ANS TV Company vs. the Azadlyg newspaper editorial staff finished on 16 February at the Sabailsky District Court, presided over by Judge Ilkham Agayev. The trial was caused by the article published in the newspaper on 22 October 2003 under the title "Reports from the Gestapo". The article concerned the report broadcasted by ANS in which Igbal Agazade, leader of the Umid party, gave evidence at the Interior Ministry's Department for Struggle Against Organized Crime. The article read that Igbal Agazade made the confession under torture. Besides, ANS TV channel was called "government-backed" and "having nothing to do with Azerbaijan." The court answered to ANS's claim partially, by imposing a money penalty at the rate of 40 million mantas on the newspaper and 8 million mantas on the author. Commenting on the court decision, the newspaper's lawyer, Mekhman Muradov, noted that the actions of ANS were aimed at "supporting the authorities' policy of suffocation of the independent press by means of large fines." The editors are inclined to struggle for their rights to the end and will turn to the European Court of Human Rights after passing through all the country's degrees of jurisdiction, said Mr Muradov.