Azerbaijan: Einullah Fatullaev wants to invite MFA head to the court

In Azerbaijan, journalist Einullah Fatullaev has petitioned to summon Elmar Mamediarov, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Today, the Court on Grave Crimes has launched the second process against Einullah Fatullaev, editor-in-chief of the "Real Azerbaijan" newspaper who is already serving his 2.5-year imprisonment for slander. His advocate Isakhan Ashurov has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he moved a petition to invite independent political scientists Zardusht Alizade and Khikmet Gadjizade as experts, while Einullah Fatullaev himself has petitioned to summon MFA's head Elmar Mamediarov to the trial.

"The criminal case against me was initiated by Mamediarov's letter, therefore, he should be subpoenaed," Mr Fatullaev has stated, having reminded, that the MFA's representative had refuted the fact of such letter.

"If there was no letter, the case should be closed," the journalist believes.

As to the allegations of a threat by terror, Einullah Fatullaev said that the essence of charges of terror and kindling enmity is not clear to him; in reply to accusations he read aloud the titles of dozens articles from various newspapers, which also ran about possible bombardment of Baku in case of US war on Iran.

The journalist said that for the recent 8 years it is already litigation No. 22 against him. He was twice arrested, and a $400,000 fine is still "hanging" on him. As to the new charges, they are same unjustified as all the previous ones; the journalist is going to defend his rights at the European Court for Human Rights. "All this is an evidence of political pressure on me as a journalist," editor Fatullaev said.