Nakhchivan

IRFS correspondents to Nakhchivan Elman Abbasov and Mehman Mehdiyev, and Turan News Agency correspondent Ilgar Nasibov were assaulted by plain-clothed police officers from the Sharur Regional Police Department on July 15, 2011, but have yet to be presented with the results of the investigation.

“While we were implementing our professional work in Jalilkand village of Sharur region, when we were psychically assaulted by plain clothed police employees. On July 18, 2011, we appealed to General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Prosecutor’s Office to bring perpetrators into liability. On June 26, we were summoned to Sharur Region Prosecutor’s Office and a statement was taken from us. Three months have passed since then, however, we have not later been invited to the prosecutor’s office and we did not receive any information about the conclusion,” said Elman Abbasov.

The correspondent said that he received letter # 22113-1481 from Azerbaijan Republic Internal Investigations Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs on August 11, 2011.
The letter said that the Sharur Region Prosecutor’s Office had investigated the complaint but found no illegal actions on the part of the police employees and had therefore not launched a criminal case.

On August 23rd, journalists appealed to the Sharur Region Prosecutor’s Office to receive the decision behind the letter, but no official documents or explanation from the Prosecutor’s Office were provided. The journalists then appealed to General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan, and Nakhchivan AR Prosecutor’s Office on the refusal to present decision adopted by prosecutor’s office to the journalists.

Abbasov added that there are photos and videos on physical assaults of journalists. These materials were attached to the complaint sent to prosecutor’s office. The journalists  will lodge a lawsuit with the court to demand punishment of police employees who assaulted them and complain against the inaction of the prosecutor’s office.