Baku court acquits man in defamation case over 'Pashinyan' remark against relative

Baku's Nasimi District Court has acquitted a defendant facing private criminal prosecution for insult and slander over allegations that he accused his relative of "working for Armenians and leaking information to Pashinyan."

The dispute arose during a hearing at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, where the plaintiff claimed that his relative, testifying as a witness, made defamatory statements against him. Reviewing the recorded courtroom footage, the judge determined the defendant's actual remark was that the relative "walks around the settlement like Pashinyan and harasses people."

Finding no elements of a crime under Articles 147.2 (slander) and 148 (insult) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, the court dismissed the charges and handed down a full acquittal.