On April 8th Radio Liberty (Azadliq Radiosu) correspondent in Nakhchivan, Yafez Akramoglu, gave a written statement in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the journalist himself told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS). Akramoglu said that he had previously sent written appeals to the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of National Security and the State Prosecutor’s Office with request to investigate the blackmail and intimidation that he faced and to guarantee his family’s safety.
“Yesterday I had been to the Interior Ministry and I provided a detailed account of what had happened to Criminal Investigation Department officer Nizami Orujov. I said there that the harassment was related to my journalistic activity. The ministry assured that my statement would be thoroughly investigated and would place a police post in front of the building where I live” said the journalist.
Yafez Akramoglu claims that he was targeted after he started to investigate recent reports about the case of Nakhchivan resident Turaj Zeynalov, who died last year allegedly after being tortured at Nakhchivan Ministry of National Security. The journalist has reportedly received threatening phone calls and messages, with demand to stop his investigations.