At the trial of editor-in-chief of "Khural", defendant and his advocates urge the court to pass acquittal

On March 6, at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, at the trial of Avaz Zeinalov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Khural", the journalist and his advocates made their closing remarks.

Zeinalov petitioned about a repeated court proceeding. "Throughout the trial Gyular Akhmedova has pointedly ignored the trial and failed to appear at the sessions. Then, she was an MP; and the court might have difficulties to ensure its appearance. However, now she's under arrest; and there are no problems to deliver her to the court. All talks that she's sick are not true. We are kept in the same SIZO (pre-trial prison); and two days ago I saw her: she's quite well," said Zeinalov.

However, the Judge Ramella Allakhverdieva said that the judicial investigation was over and gave the floor to Elchin Sadygov, Zeinalov's advocate.

According to the advocate, the judicial inquiry had failed to prove Zeinalov guilt on all the charges, and he asked the judge to acquit the journalist on all the indictment points.

In his turn, the prosecutor Ramazan Khadyev said that the advocates had failed to present any arguments to refute the evidence of the investigation; and the prosecution insisted on sentencing Zeinalov to 11 years in prison, believing him guilty. Zeinalov himself declared "a complete falsification of the case." He said that he was arrested for his critical publications; however, it would not stop his commitment to free journalism and freedom of speech.

The judge has postponed the sentencing indefinitely.