At trial in Azerbaijan, editor-in-chief of "Khural" denies all charges

At the trial in the Baku Court on Grave Crimes on the case against Avaz Zeinalov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Khural", at the court sessions, held on November 20-21, the journalist gave testimony, in which he denied all the charges.

On October 28, 2011, Avaz Zeinalov was arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe. The complaint was filed by MP Gyular Akhmedova. Three more persons filed to the Department to Combat Corruption the complaints about bribing the journalist. Avaz Zeinalov was also accused of failure to execute court decisions and tax evasion.

Earlier, at the court sessions, held on November 8 and 14, Avaz Zeinalov refused to testify till the major witness would appear in the Court ex-MP Gyular Akhmedova, who filed the complaint against him. However, on November 20, Avaz Zeinalov agreed to testify, despite the fact that Gyular Akhmedova again did not appeared in the Court.

He stated that his arrest and the actual closing of the newspaper "Khural" were "an integral part of a deliberate government policy to eliminate the independent media."

According to Avaz Zeinalov, the newspaper "Khural" was published during 9 years, it had always been characterized by its principled position and criticism of negative phenomena, and it raised the issues of corruption in the various structures of power.

According to Avaz Zeinalov, at first, he received from the authorities attractive offers of cooperation and termination of government criticism. "However, when I declined those offers, other methods were used to eliminate us provocations, lawsuits, and, ultimately, arrest and closure of the newspaper."

On November 21, Avaz Zeinalov continued to testify, and he devoted much of his speech to direct charges of accepting the bribe.

"I did not ask Akhmedova about anything, and I did not take money from her. There is no evidence of my guilt. I am kept in prison for more than a year without any lawful grounds," Avaz Zeinalov has noted.