On 18 January, a group of People threatened Gundelik Baku newspapers’employees in the newspaper’s editorial office. The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was told this by the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Habil Valiyev.
According to Valiyev, 20 professors of the Baku State Economy and Humanity College attacked the editorial office at the order of the college’s director Bilman Veliyev. The attack stemmed from articles published in our newspaper on the basis of a letter sent by a female teacher of the college.
“They threatened our employees and demanded that the articles about their college stop being published and a refutation should be published in the newspaper,” said Valiyev. “I invited them to solve the issue quietly. However, I had to appeal to police when I realized that they did not want to calm down. The editorial office had to stop its work for an hour. The operation of the newspaper was restored after the employees of the Yasamal District Police department #27 came.”
IRFS called the Baku State Economy and Humanity College concerning the problem several times; however, it was impossible to speak to a responsible person who would give answers to our questions.
“They threatened our employees and demanded that the articles about their college stop being published and a refutation should be published in the newspaper,” said Valiyev. “I invited them to solve the issue quietly. However, I had to appeal to police when I realized that they did not want to calm down. The editorial office had to stop its work for an hour. The operation of the newspaper was restored after the employees of the Yasamal District Police department #27 came.”
IRFS called the Baku State Economy and Humanity College concerning the problem several times; however, it was impossible to speak to a responsible person who would give answers to our questions.