Today, 3 August, local journalists trying to monitor President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic faced harassment. IRFS Nakhchivan regional correspondent Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev and Elman Abbasov and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Turan News Agency correspondent Malahet Nasibova and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty photo-correspondent Ilgar Nasibov, who wanted to observe the visit, have not been permitted to participate in the events carried out with president’s participation, and photos and video materials recorded by the correspondents have been deleted.
Someone introducing himself as the employee of the Presidential Administration Huseyn Valiyev asked the journalists to give their photo and video cameras to him to look at. The journalists told him that they were not doing anything secretly and were simply preparing a report about the visit of the president.
Then the employees of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic National Security Ministry and Head of Political Department of the Ministry Anar Gulmammadov came up to the journalists and accused them in conducting illegal filming and insisted that they give up their photo and video cameras. The correspondents had no choice but give their cameras to NSM employees. The cameras were returned to the journalists only after their recorded material was erased of the cameras.
Then the employees of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic National Security Ministry and Head of Political Department of the Ministry Anar Gulmammadov came up to the journalists and accused them in conducting illegal filming and insisted that they give up their photo and video cameras. The correspondents had no choice but give their cameras to NSM employees. The cameras were returned to the journalists only after their recorded material was erased of the cameras.