Organization "Article 19" is concerned of frequent acts of violence against journalists in Azerbaijan

The international organization in support of the freedom of expression named "Article 19" has made a statement condemning violence applied against journalists in the countries of Southern Caucasus. The section on Azerbaijan notes that recently acts of violence against journalists have become more frequent.

The statement of "Article 19" that has arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent gives the incident on May 10 as an example, when police applied violence against several journalists, who covered protest actions of youth in the context of the Holiday of Flowers.

The "Article 19" has called the authorities to investigate these incidents and also to inform in detail the broad public about the courser of investigation into the massacre at the Oil Academy on April 30.

Other facts of violation of journalists' rights include violence against four journalists in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) in January and summon to interrogation to the NAR's Ministry of National Security of Idrak Abbasov, an employee of Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) who was sent there from Baku.

Another recent fact was application of violence by police against the film group of the ANS TV Company in Baku on April 26, when the group made video of demolition of unfinished mosque in the Yasamal District of the capital of Azerbaijan.

Emin Guseinov, Director of the IRFS, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in his comments on the statement of "Article to 19" that he found the concern of the international organization to be quite reasonable.

"Indeed, when covering the protest actions of youth on May 10, Durna Safarli, correspondent of the Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty, Afgan Mukhtarly and Leila Ilgar, journalists of the 'Eni Musavat' newspaper, and Elchin Gasanov, correspondent of the newspaper named 'For the Sake of Revival', were pressed by the police," said Mr Guseinov.

The press service of the MIA has refuted the facts of physical pressure against journalists during the action on May 10.