JOURNALISTS BEATEN IN NAKHCHIVAN

IRFS correspondent to Nakhchivan Elman Abbasov and Turan Information Agency correspondent Ilgar Nasibov were assaulted by Sharur District Police Department employees while preparing news report in Jalil village of Sharur on July 15th. The journalists were beaten, their photo and video cameras were seized and the records deleted, Elman Abbasov reported to IRFS.

“Having received an appeal from IRFS correspondent to Nakhchivan Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev, we visited Jalil village to prepare news report about the assault to his house. Although  we had journalistic ID card on us, police attacked us and demanded to stop filming in the village. We told them that it was our professional duty. However, police employees ignored and hit me and tried to seize my camera. Consequently, a Nikon D-90 photo camera belonging to IRFS was broken. The police attacked me three times in an hour and beat me every time and tried to arrest. At the end, residents took me away from the area, and hid me in their house,” said Elman Abbasov.  He also said that police employees intended to arrest him. However, Mehdiyev and his family’s interference saved him.
Then journalist Ilgar Nasibov faced similar attacks as well and received injuries. Police Chief Mammad Huseynov insulted Ilgar Nasibov and ordered to arrest him. Nasibov was forced into a police car where he was tortured for 15 minutes. Journalist received injuries as a result.
Journalist added that the police also attacked on another IRFS correspondent to Nakhchivan Mehman Mehdiyev and attempted to detain him. But he succeeded in escaping every time. However, police captain Kamal Abdullayev openly stated before the residents that he will have him arrested under any charge.
After the diplomatic corps and media representatives were informed about the incident, the police and undercover agents left the scene and gave back the equipments seized from the journalists. However, the recordings had been deleted.
To note, the pressures on the journalists kicked off after the visit of “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” correspondent, political commentator Michael Ludwig to Nakhchivan. Ludwig had to leave Nakhchivan as a result of pressures imposed by local authorities. The fact that the foreign journalist was accompanied by Mehdiyev at his visit to Sadarak region disappointed the local authorities, who then decided to punish him.
On July 13th, Sharur District Executive Power Deputy Head Aladdin Mammadov, together with several persons, arrived at IRFS correspondent to Nakhchivan Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev’s house, pressured on him and cut off the power supply to the small car-washing station run by Mehdiyev. He was again assaulted on July 15 with regard to the said issue. Elman Abbasov and Ilgar Nasibov had arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.

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