A journalist of oppositional newspaper "Azadlyg" beaten up in Baku

In the evening of April, 4, an assault at Ramin Deko, journalist of an oppositional newspaper "Azadlyg" ("Freedom") was committed in Baku. The journalist considers that the attackers had a connection with the people who the day before, April, 3, were holding him by force for several hours and having a "preventive talk" with him.

The assault at Deko took place at about 21:10 local time (20:10 Moscow time), in a remote place, in the garden near State Academy of Sciences, when the journalist was returning home from the editorial office.

According to Deko, the two attackers first of all carelessly dropped a phrase "It seems you have not grown wiser". Then they started beating him on his head, face and body. With each blow the attackers pronounced in turn the names of the leaders of the opposition and oppositional journalists for solidarity with whom Deko was being punished. Once again he received an advice "to be more clever and take no part in oppositional actions".

The journalist had a narrow escape from the attackers and returned to the editorial office. "My shirt was torn, I was beaten on my face and kidneys", the journalist said to a reporter of "Caucasian Knot".

Deko said that after the meeting of the opposition on Saturday he went to Sabail district court with his colleagues where they inquired about the fates of the detained people. "It was already late and I stayed at my friend's for the night. In the morning of April, 3, at about 10:00 I bought newspapers and was waiting at the bus stop to go home. Suddenly three men wearing civilian attire came up to me and just forced me into a white "seven" (VAZ-2107) standing nearby. I asked "Who are you?" and they replied "You'll know later". They took my mobile away saying: "No need to worry, we'll soon let you go", Deko continued.

According to the journalist, in the car the strangers expressed their displeasure with his activities in social networks. "They asked me why I was "calling people to uprising". They said it was "no good and against the state system", Deko went on.

The journalist was brought to a cottage massif near the settlement of Moshtag where the talk lasted in the same manner. "They started explaining me how much Geidar Aliev had done for Azerbaijan. The suggested me to start working in the newspaper "Khalg" (the one of the President's administration) or "Eni Azerbaijan" (belonging to the ruling party) "instead of staying in "Azadlyg", the journalist said. He was taken back to town in a black car of foreign make.

"They said to me in the end: "If you become smart you will have a car like this and will no longer stand waiting at a bus stop". Then I was dropped off in the city", Deko said.

After these events the journalist did not complain to law enforcement bodies because as he explained he did not believe in them. "I decided to share the information with mass media only", Deko said.

It should be mentioned that this has been already the second case of kidnapping and beating up a journalist of "Azadlyg" during the last 10 days.