THE IRFS STATEMENT ON PRESSURES AGAINST THE ARRESTED CORRESPONDENTS OF KHAYAL TV

The Institute of Reporters’ Freedom and Safety is concerned over the pressures used against imprisoned Vugar Gonagov (executive director of Khayal TV) and Zaur Guliyev (editor-in-chief of Khayal TV) that are currently kept at the Office on Struggle against Organized Crimes, and demands to put an end to the pressures.

Today lawyer Elchin Sadigov has met with Vugar Gonagov. Gonagov refused from the service of his lawyer at the meeting. An hour before that meeting the investigator of the case had visited Vugar Gonagov. The IRFS suspects that this was the reason why Gonagov refused from the service of his lawyer and agreed to be defended by the lawyer that the state assigned for him.

The IRFS notes that, the executive director of Khayal TV Vugar Gonagov and the Khayal editor-in-chief Zaur Guliyev were detained on March 13th , but their families were only notified of their arrest on March 15th.  The Court sentenced them to two months of pre-trial detention, but they have been kept at the Head Office on the Struggle against Organized Crimes for two weeks. To note, the Head Office on the Struggle against Organized Crimes is popular for using torture against the detained persons. That is why it is without suspicion that Gonagov and Guliyev also suffered from pressures.

To note, the broadcast of the video featuring Rauf Habibov (the ex chief of Guba Executive Power) insulting the citizens of Quba triggered a public riot in Guba. The citizens set Habibov’s house on fire and there were clashes between people and the police. After the protests president Ilham Aliyev dismissed Rauf Habibov from his post.