Today, 25 June, in the Yasamal District Court, under the chairmanship of judge Khagani Tagiyev, a hearing was held regarding special format lawsuit of Goychay region Police Department’s former Chief Vugar Mammadyarov

Goychay Region Police Department Chief on Administrative Prosecutions Bakhtiyar Hashimov, and Goychay region Police Department Investigation Office Head Rufat Ibayev against Assistance to the Defense of Democracy Public Union Chairman and Human Rights Defender Vidadi Isgenderov.

Defendant Vidadi Isgandarov and plaintiffs’ lawyer Alirza Habilov took part in the hearing.

Lawyer A.Habilov said that the article in question contained unfounded information about the plaintiffs and that the information is not accurate, but defamatory. He then asked the court to charge the defendant under article 147.2 (slandering by accusing someone in grave or especially grave crimes) of the Criminal Code.

V.Isgandarov stated that the opinions, which were regarded as defamatory by the plaintiffs, were voiced in a press conference that Goychay residents held, and these opinions were published in the press. He claimed that the lawsuit was unfounded.

Judge K.Tagiyev scheduled the next hearing on this case for 6 July at 3:30 p.m.

The Judge denied IRFS’s request for taking photos and filming during the hearing.

IRFS notes that at the beginning of June Vugar Mammadyarov was dismissed from his post in Goychay Region Police Department, and he then was appointed the Chairman of State Road Police’s Shirvan City Registration Examination Department.

The plaintiffs considered that V.Isgenderov insulted them in the article entitled “Police got a 3000 AZN bribe from me” that was published in Azadlig newspaper on 2 April and filed special format lawsuits against him under article 147.2 (slandering by accusing someone in grave or especially grave crimes) of the Criminal Code.