In addition, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety correspondent Elman Abassov came to the side of the event, and faced insult and threats. In addition, Elman Abbasov works at the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Democracy and NGO Development Resource Centre as well. The Permanent delegation of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Baku issued a statement to refute this report.
“Centre presented as the NGO Development Resource Centre Public Union, as well as IRFS (the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety) are operating illegally – without registration in the autonomous republic,” it is said in the statement. “These investigations they hold frequently serve to confuse the community, and the ‘monitoring’ they were trying to hold in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on 14-15 December was one more example of this.”
IRFS Chairman Emin Huseynov said that the claim that IRFS operates in Nakchivan illegally is absurd.
“IRFS does not have a delegation in Nakhchivan. IRFS has three employees in the Autonomous republic – Elman Abbasov, Hekimeldostu Mehdiyev and Mehman Mehdiyev all work as IRFS reporters in Nakhchivan. The work of these reporters in Nakhchivan was checked by IRFS several times and no illegal activity was ever discovered,” added Emin Huseynov.
According to the Azerbaijan Republic Laws “On Obtaining Information” and “On Information Freedom”, not only the representatives of media and NGOs, but also any Azerbaijani citizen has the right to have access to information that is not banned by law.