Yasamal District Court has again arrested the bank account of Azadlig newspaper, Turan News Agency was told by the acting editor of the opposition daily newspaper Rahim Hajiyev. The court decision was based on the defamation suit brought by Tagi Ahmadov, chief of the Baku Metro. Tagi Ahmadov sued for defamation after Azadlig published an article titled “Tagi Akhmedov appropriates 5 gepiks (appr. 5 cent)” on April 8, 2012.
In that article, the author wrote that after the fare increases of the Baku metro from 15 to 20 kopecks, it was not possible to use the residual amount on the metro fare cards. The author raised a question as to the fate of the accumulated 5 qepik amounts in the cards which were not re-chargeable and then ironically noted that perhaps Tagi Ahmadov appropriated the balance. Ahmadov saw the article as an insult to his honor and dignity, and demanded compensation of 200,000 manat (appr. $ 240,000).
Yasamal Court partially grantedAhmadov’s petition and ordered the newspaper to pay him 30,000 manat (appr. $36,000). Baku Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld that decision.
Azadlig’s editor Rahim Hajiyev regarded the arrest of the bank account of the newspaper as a partof the government plan to economically strangle the newspaper. He said the newspaper might not be able to publish its next issue.
An additional defamation lawsuit was brought against the newspaper by Kabira Mammadova, the owner of a huge shopping center “Bina” next to Baku Airport. The court ordered the newspaper to pay 30,000 manat in fines and also ordered the arrrest of Ramin Deko, the journalist who prepared the article triggering the lawsuit. Meanwhile, another government agency – “Gasid” Newspaper Distribution Company simply refuses to pay Azadlig the proceeds of the newspaper sales in the amount of 41,000 manat. Gasid holds a monopoly position in the newspaper distribution business in Azerbaijan and Azadlig, as any other newspaper published in the country, can sell its newspapers only through this company (Azeri Report).
