In Nakhchivan another journalist under pressure

The regional correspondent of the Institute of Reporters Freedom and Safety on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) Hakimeldostu Mehdiyev was arrested and taken to Nakhchivan City Police Department on Sunday. They began an investigation of an administrative case on charges of a traffic accident, which is to be held within 10 days. The journalist's car was placed in the "penalty box."

The case against Mehdiyev was instituted on the complaint of a taxi driver, whose car was allegedly hit by the journalist's vehicle, the Head of the Regional Resource Center for Democracy and NGOs Malahat Nasibova told Turan.

However, at that time, when according to police, the accident occurred, Mehdiyev's car was parked at one of the local eateries, where the journalist had dinner with relatives. The complainant did not come to the police. According to police, he "took a client to Ordubad."

Mehdiyev's car has no trace of the accident.

The journalist was released in the evening and told to come back to the police on Monday at 9:00.

Local activists are convinced that Mehdiyev is pursued in connection with yesterday's incident in the Sadarak customs, where local journalists were under pressure, when investigating the violations against the businessman Mohammed Gurbanov.

Mehdiyev helped two other journalists, Ilgar Nasibov and Elman Abbasov, to administer the survey. And he took them from the site of the incident in his own car.

The journalists' cameras and voice recorders were confiscated and have not been returned yet.

Moreover, Malahat Nasibova, Ilgar Abbasov, Elman Abbasov and Hakimeldostu were tracked on Sunday all day.

With regard to the businessman Mohammed Gurbanov and his son-in-law Nadir Mammadov detained at the Sadarak customs, their fate is unclear to their families.

Allegedly, they are contained in the Sadarak district police, where Gurbanov's car and Mammadov himself were seen.

However, the police of the Sadarak district deny the detention of these men in this department.

Mehdiyev had been repeatedly subjected to physical pressure and fines for his professional activities before. -06B -