“Physical and moral pressure on the journalist Parviz Hashimli continues. Investigation into his case is delayed, and he has not been transferred from the Ministry of National Security to the detention facility of the Ministry of Justice. The charges filed against him are politically motivated” said his family members and the head of Popular Front Party, Ali Karimli at today’s press conference at IRFS press center.
Parviz Hashimli rejects these accusations and says he is arrested because of his journalistic activity. Amnesty International has declared him a prisoner of conscience.
The journalist’s father, Kamran Hashimli, said his son was tortured in the MNS about which he has complained to the leadership of the country, ombudswoman and the Caucasus Muslims Office, but has not received any answer.
He expressed surprise that head of Caucasus Muslims Sheikh Pashazadeh visited the Armenian captive at request of the Armenian religious leader, but he ignores the requests of his own countrymen to visit the tortured journalist in prison.
Kamran said his son has become the victim of a conflict between different factions within the government and was driven to attempt of suicide. They want to make Parviz confess that someone passed money via him to Ali Karimli from some officials.
According to Ali Karimli, the employees of the MNS are involved in slandering and arresting people; therefore MNS must be deprived of the authority to keep people in detention. He called on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop such crimes.
“Sooner or later you’ll pay price for your crimes. Stop it before it’s too late. Things have already started to change and nothing will save you,” Karimli addressed the authorities. “They hate me so much that they even punish their ministers because of me. Ilham Aliyev suspects his own ministers of working for me. This is the climax of anxiety,” said Karimli.
Background: Bizim Yol newspaper journalist and moderator.az editor-in-chief Parviz Hashimli was detained on September 17th by employees of the Ministry of National Security. On September 18 the journalist was handed down a two-month pretrial detention sentence by the Sabail District Court under two articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code: Article 206.3.2 (smuggling of firearms on preliminary arrangement by an organized group) and 228.2.1 (illegal obtaining, storing, carrying firearms and their spare parts on preliminary arrangement by an organized group). His detention term was extended for another three months on November 7.
Hashimli rejects the charges and has declared that they are related his journalistic and human rights activities.