10 October 2007, 11:58
Number of judicial claims against journalists grows in Azerbaijan
In September, the Azerbaijani courts considered over 50 cases related with slander charges. In the course of the trials, the claimants demanded to arrest 15 journalists and collecting fines from them to the total sum of 1.680 million manats (about 2 million US dollars). These facts are disclosed in the report of the Institute of the Rights of Mass Media that has arrived today to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The report reminds about recent most resonant cases. Thus, Geidar Babaev, Minister of Economic Development, has demanded to arrest Ganimad Zakhid, editor-in-chief of the "Azadlyg" newspaper, and deputy Gudrat Gasanguliev - of Avez Zeinaly, editor of the "Khural" newspaper. Along with them, the active participants of the campaign of criminal prosecution of journalists are heads of municipalities, notary bureaus and even a businessman from Nigeria who has demanded to collect a fine worth 300,000 manats from the editor of the magazine "Corruption and Society."
The report notes that the growth of number of judicial claims against journalists is linked with tough statements of governmental officials against mass media, imprisonment of plenty of journalists and even the whole propaganda campaign against mass media.
Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent
