Lawyer Isakhan Ashurov has sent an appeal to the General Prosecutor of the Azerbaijani Republic Zakir Garalov asking him to guarantee the security of the family of the late journalist and writer Rafig Tagi – his brothers Alim Tagiyev, Rafael Tagiyev , and Ilgar Tagiyev.
The 61 year old writer-journalist was attacked by an unknown assailant on the evening of November 19 while returning home from work. A criminal case has been launched but so far no one has been held to account.
On November 15th 2006, Rafig Tagi was arrested for his article “Europe and Us”, originally published in Sanat newspaper. In response, some Muslims accused him of using offensive language towards the prophet Muhammaed Peygambar and of “preferring Christian values to Islamic ones”. He was initially sentenced to 3 years in prison under Article 283.1 of the Criminal Code (Incitement of national, racial or religious hatred). He was released following a presidential pardon in December of 2007. At that time, representatives from the ruling party of Azerbaijan claimed that the journalist had been arrested to protect him from certain death at the hands of Islamic extremists.
On November 27th, the son of Iranian Ayatullah uzma Fazil Lenkerani, Ayatollah Sheikh Mahammad Lenkerani, released statement welcoming Tagi’s death.