GPO checks investigation into case of attack on journalist Tapdyg Farkhadoglu in Baku

The Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has started a check of the media reports about the biased investigation into the beating of journalist Tapdyg Farkhadoglu (Guliev). Prosecutors have assigned the re-investigation to be conducted under the personal supervision of the General Prosecutor, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The ‘Caucasian Knot’ has reported that on February 20, over 100 students came out to protest against increased payments for re-examination. The BSU's security service and policemen tried to resist the action; and journalists also suffered in the process, among them - Tapdyg Farkhadoglu (Guliev), a correspondent of the Turan Agency. The Prosecutor's Office refused to open a criminal case on the fact of beating Tapdyg Farkhadoglu. The decision to refuse to open a criminal case was made back on May 10, but it was served to the journalist only on September 12. Lawyer Ruslan Aliev, who is representing the journalist's interests, and Tapdyg Farkhadoglu  himself said that they intended to appeal against the decision of the Prosecutor's Office.

"The General Prosecutor's Office has instructed to conduct a complete, comprehensive and objective investigation into all the circumstances set forth in the journalist's complaint and to make the decision under the appropriate law. The investigation was taken under personal control of General Prosecutor Zakir Garalov," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told on September 17 by Eldar Sultanov, the Spokesman for the General Prosecutor's Office.

Such a rapid response of the General Prosecutor's Office to the media reports has become "a nice surprise," the "Caucasian Knot" was told by Tapdyg Farkhadoglu.

"Of course, it is very important that the investigation has been taken under the personal control of the General Prosecutor. However, the outcome of the investigation is the most important thing. The crime committed against me for my activities as a journalist should not go unpunished," Tapdyg Farkhadoglu has stated.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.