(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the abduction of and threats to Akper Hasanov, a journalist with the opposition daily “Monitor” on 2 February 2005. Hasanov was held for almost five hours at Baku military headquarters. Plainclothes soldiers forced him to write a retraction of an article carried by “Monitor” on 29 January, which reported on […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the abduction of and threats to Akper Hasanov, a journalist with the opposition daily “Monitor” on 2 February 2005. Hasanov was held for almost five hours at Baku military headquarters. Plainclothes soldiers forced him to write a retraction of an article carried by “Monitor” on 29 January, which reported on the horrifying conditions endured by a military unit in the Geranboy region.
“We are appalled at the crude methods of intimidation used by government employees towards a journalist. The fact that Defence Ministry officials can kidnap an opposition journalist on the streets of Baku in broad daylight with complete impunity is a disturbing indication of the deterioration in press freedom in Azerbaijan,” RSF said in a letter to the defence minister. The organisation called for an independent investigation to establish the full facts of the case.
Hasanov’s ordeal began when he was approached by a man describing himself as a teacher who had been unfairly dismissed. He said he had proof of his allegations and invited the journalist to follow him to army headquarters to show him some documents. Several people then seized the journalist and took him to the office of the Baku military command, where he was held from noon to 4:30 p.m. (local time).
Hasanov’s kidnappers forced him to write a statement saying that his article entitled, “If War Breaks Out Tomorrow”, carried in the 29 January edition of “Monitor”, was in fact written by the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Elmar Huseynov, against whom the authorities had previously taking legal action. The kidnappers also threatened to sack Hasanov’s uncle, who works for the Defence Ministry, and frightened him by saying that they knew his telephone number and address. In the face of relentless psychological harassment, he finally wrote a letter saying that his editor was the author of the article. The soldiers seized his dictaphone and listened to his recordings. They subsequently called the Defence Ministry and said that their job was done.
Huseynov described the incident as a brutal violation of the law and press freedom. “It is an obvious sign of the lamentable state of free expression in our country, and ignorance of the demands of the international community in relation to press freedom,” he said.
“Monitor” has been harassed by the courts since October 2003. The daily has been sentenced to heavy fines after several defamation actions were brought by people close to the government.
