Today, July 15th, Turan news agency reporter Ilgar Nasibov, IRFS reporters Elman Abbasov and Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev were assaulted by police and undercover agents in Sharur region of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The journalists received serious injuries. Their cameras were seized as well, Elman Abbasov reported to IRFS.
To note, 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 service enterprise run by Mehdiyev. He was again assaulted today with regard to the said issue. Elman Abbasov and Ilgar Nasibov, who arrived at the scene to investigate the incident, were beaten as well.
The pressures on Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev have been common for the last few days. “In the afternoon, the deputy executive head Aladdin Mammadov visited my house together with several persons; among them were employees of Sharur District Electricity Office. First they tried to fine me claiming I used power illegally. After viewing the house it became clear the claim was ungrounded. Then they turned to the lack of seal on the power meter. But I told them that I have appealed to the electricity office for having my power meter sealed. Seeing no ground to fine me, the deputy head ordered to cut off the power supply to my car-washing service enterprise,” Mehdiyev noted.
Mehdiyev says that he is required to put and end to his journalistic activity. He added that he has been threatened by deputy executive head Mammadov with arrest.
“These are related to my professional work. Aladdin Mammadov told me that ‘you have been recently filming either Sadarak, or Nehram, or invite foreign journalists to the region. Why did you invite the German journalist to visit Sharur?’ I explained him that it is linked to my journalistic work. But he ignored it and had the power supply to my business object cut off,” he said.
Journalist added that has all documents required to run a car-washing service object. He has been running it for a year as a physical entity and paying all taxes in time. Mehdiyev believes that the reason for pressures on him is related to opening of a new car-washing service enterprise by Sharur district executive head Ibrahim Mammadov not far from Mehdiyev’s.