Participant of incident with journalist Seimur Khazi detained in Azerbaijan

A certain Magerram Gasanov, a participant of the quarrel with journalist Seimur Ghazi, who had been earlier arrested in connection with the incident, is now in detention too.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Seimur Ghazi, an oppositional journalist and an observer of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper, is accused that on August 29 near a bus stop in the village of Djeiranbatan he "used violence against a resident of Baku, Magerram Gasanov, who he had not known before." According to investigators, the journalist "first cursed, and then hit him over the head with a glass bottle and then punched and kicked him in the face." On August 30, Seimur Ghazi was arrested by Azerbaijani court for two months.

Today, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has reported that Magerram Gasanov was also detained.

According to GPO press release, it was established in the course of inquiry that Gasanov "on the basis of a dispute insulted and hit Seimur Khaziev (in this way his surname is given in the release) with his fist, inflicting bodily injuries to the latter."

On September 3, Gasanov was detained, charged with "hooliganism" and arrested. "Currently, the criminal investigation continues," the GPO's release concludes.

Rakhim Gadjiev, the first deputy editor-in chief of the "Azadlyg" newspaper, has treated Gasanov's detention as "imitation of objective inquiry."

"In fact, a provocation was undertaken against Seimur Ghazi. This practice of provocations against journalists was used earlier in Azerbaijan. In 2007, a provocation was organized against Ganimat Zakhid, the editor-in-chief of our newspaper. Then, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison, while the other party in the fight Vusal Gasanov received a total of 1.5 years," said Gadjiev.

He is convinced that the criminal case against Khazi was fabricated in connection with his journalistic activities.

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