(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged Interior Minister Ramil Usubov to do his utmost to protect journalists in the run-up to legislative elections after police assaulted four journalists at a banned opposition demonstration on 25 September 2005. The journalists – Mahabbat Orujeva, Rei Kerimoglu, Sakit Mamedov and Zohrab Zeynalov – were covering a rally called by […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged Interior Minister Ramil Usubov to do his utmost to protect journalists in the run-up to legislative elections after police assaulted four journalists at a banned opposition demonstration on 25 September 2005.
The journalists – Mahabbat Orujeva, Rei Kerimoglu, Sakit Mamedov and Zohrab Zeynalov – were covering a rally called by the opposition group Azadlig to demand free and fair elections on 6 November.
Police seized a camera from Orujeva, a reporter with the daily “Yeni Musavat”, who had shown his press card. Police also broke a camera being used by a colleague with the same daily, Kerimoglu, although he was wearing a blue jacket handed out to journalists by the Press Council to protect them from attack.
Mamedov, a reporter with the weekly “Avropa”, was beaten by police despite holding up his press card. A photographer with the Azer-Press agency, Zeynalov was beaten while he attempted to take pictures of police officers who were charging at demonstrators, about 100 of whom were arrested, organisers said.
“This violence demonstrates yet again the climate of insecurity that has taken hold in Azerbaijan in the run-up to legislative elections, particularly for journalists. Obtaining news and information has become more and more difficult and they cannot work without taking real risks,” said RSF, as it made its appeal to the interior minister.
On 21 May, Farid Teymurkhanli, of the daily “Zerkalo”, was clubbed over the head by security forces while he was covering an opposition demonstration in Baku and wearing a press armband (see IFEX alert of 25 May 2005).
