Azerbaijani journalists visit villas where their colleagues were beaten

On July 29, a group of Azerbaijani journalists visited the villa in Mardakyan settlement in the vicinity of Baku, where on the previous day - July 28 - their colleagues - Elmin Badalov, a reporter of the newspaper "Eni Musavat", and Anar Geraily, deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Milli Yol", - were beaten. Near the place of the incident journalists were met by securities who said the villa belongs to "some foreigner."

After a while, one of securities received a telephone call and gave the mobile to Azer Aikhan, deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Eni Musavat". The calling party presented himself as Elchin Guliev, the owner of the villa. He said that he is an entrepreneur; however, refused to name the sphere of his business and the particular company he owns.

The person who was speaking by phone denied the fact of beating journalists. He also refuted the information that the some relative of the Minister of Transports Ziya Mamedov was involved in the incident. According to the man, who presented himself as Guliev, the "neighbouring villa" has to do with the above Minister.

It is remarkable that, as reported by Mr Aikhan, deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Eni Musavat", the securities themselves admitted application of force against journalists. They explained it by the fact that journalists had climbed the fence of the villa. "However, the 7-meter-high fence cannot be climbed without external help," Mr Aikhan said.

Elmin Badalov recognized a person who beat him yesterday in one of the securities.