Journalists harassed in Azerbaijani NAR

In the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan, pressure has strengthened on local independent journalists - Malakhat Nasibova, regional correspondent of the Turan News Agency and the Azerbaijan Service of Radio Liberty, Khyakimeldostu Mekhtiev and Elman Abbasov, local representatives of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS). The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by the journalists themselves.

On January 16, they were subjected to violence in Geidarabad village, Sadarak District of the NAR. The journalists went to the village to clear out the situation with Elvin Guseinov and his mother Khanymzer, who disappeared several days ago. The Guseinovs disappeared after they went to visit their family head - Ismail Guseinov, 72, - kept at the mental dispensary, where he was placed by the police after his complaint against law enforcement bodies.

According to Malakhat Nasibova, in Geidarabad village, near Guseinovs' house they were met by a group of persons in civilian clothes, who started offending the journalists, stating that the had "to obtain a permit" for coming to the district. Khyakimeldostu Mekhtiev was subjected to physical pressure. "We were forced into a car and brought outside the Sadarak District," Ms Nasibova said.

"In the evening on January 29, a threat of execution was sent to my mobile phone. At the same time, a similar threat was made public to the address of the Nakhichevan Bureau of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety," Malakhat Nasibova has noted in her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

It turned out that the person who threatened the journalists was Malik Aliev, a resident of the Sadarak District. He motivated his threats by journalists' "discrediting Sadarak in their false writings."

Let us note here that almost in parallel with the threats, on January 29, the newspaper "Sharg Gapysy" (Gate of the East), which is the edition of the Parliament of the NAR, published an article, where journalists were accused of disseminating false data and "slandering their Nakhichevan." The article was signed by the editorial board and the Board of Press of the NAR, which by its functionality is called to protect journalists against pressure.

In the meantime, it looks like the forces, who are threatening journalists in the NAR, have decided to pass over from words to actions. In the morning on Saturday, January 30, in Nakhichevan, Khyakimeldostu Mekhtiev, a local employee of the IRFS, was subjected to violence. He was in the office of the "Umid" (Hope) Party talking with its members on the March referendum on amending the Constitution. Suddenly, one of the persons, who were in the room at that time, came up to him and gave a blow on his head with an ashtray. As a result, the journalist head was traumatized.

Attempts of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to receive any comments at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the NAR and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan in the context of the threats addressed of journalists were fruitless.