Rasim Aliyev, 30, died in a Baku hospital on 9 August after being severely beaten on 8 August by unknown assailants. The attack was supposedly a reaction to a dispute over a post he had written on Facebook post about a contentious football match, according to a statement made by his sister. He sustained serious injuries as a result of the attack and died several hours after in a Baku hospital.
The climate of impunity – which allows attacks on journalists in Azerbaijan to remain unpunished – is contributing to the ongoing repression of free expression, reads a press release of the International media support (IMS).
Over the last decade there have been more than 300 attacks against journalists in Azerbaijan. Over the last 12 months, seven journalists and five human rights activists have been arrested and the list of cases of harassment of media and human rights specialists is long.
The authorities must end the unacceptable impunity for crimes of violence against journalists in Azerbaijan. The untimely death of Rasim Aliyev is a stark reminder of Azerbaijan’s detrimental freedom of expression record and the need to create a mechanism for protecting journalists and human rights defenders. IMS is sincerely concerned and angered by the murder of Rasim Aliyev and we extend our condolences to Rasim Aliyev’s family and colleagues at this difficult time.
* International Media Support is a non-profit organisation working to strengthen the capacity of media to reduce conflict, strengthen democracy and facilitate dialogue.-02D-
Politics
-
On January 23, the Baku Court of Appeal considered the complaint of Meydan TV journalist Natig Javadli against the refusal to transfer him to house arrest.
-
On January 23, the Deputy Commander of the Azerbaijani Ground Forces, Ilgar Latifov, met with a Pakistani delegation headed by the Director General of Military Operations, Abdullah Kashif. The parties discussed the state and prospects for the development of military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, as well as the importance of increasing the intensity of joint exercises.
-
The announcement of 2025 as the "Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty" in Azerbaijan has sparked rumors and speculation about the government's plans to hold a constitutional referendum this year. Today's statement in the Milli Majlis by the head of the parliamentary committee on human rights and concurrently the director of the Center for Humanitarian Studies, Zahid Oruj, confirmed that these expectations are not groundless.
-
As part of the peace process with Azerbaijan, Armenia has proposed solutions to all agenda issues, stated Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, on January 23. "We are not asking for peace, we are offering peaceful solutions to all existing issues. For the two unresolved points, we have sent proposals and are waiting for a response from the Azerbaijani side. We hope that we will find solutions," Grigoryan said, according to Armenian media. Meanwhile, the press service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Turan that "negotiations on the text of the peace agreement are ongoing."
Leave a review