Interior Ministry denies beating Ismailov, but the deputy minister apologizes

Press Service of the Interior Ministry denied the statement of the lawyer Aslan Ismailov that on May 30 he was beaten in the Chief Office to  Combat Organized Crime (COCOC) of the Interior Ministry.

The employee of the press service  of the Ministry,  Orkhan Mansurzade said that Ismailov’s statement was not true.

According to him, Ismailov was  summoned to the COCOC and was  warned about "inadmissibility to propagate fictional, libelous statements".

Mansurzade called  Ismailov’s statement "a gamble and populism."

At today’s  press conference Ismailov confirmed the fact of physical pressure on him, calling it a blatant arbitrariness, which all of society should protest. 

Ismailov said that he  is being subject to pressure  due to publication of the fact of  the torture of the  blogger Agaaddina Rashad.

He said he would continue the fight until  the investigator of the COCOC, Daanov,  who  struck and injured him, is punished. 

Human rights activists Arzu Abdullayeva and Eldar Zeynalov supported  Ismailov. 

After the press conference Ismailov went to the Interior Ministry,  and  was received by the First Deputy Minister, Vilayat Eivazov.

"He repeatedly apologized for the incident and promised to conduct a comprehensive investigation and invite me again.

I  will believe in the sincerity of  his apologies only  if a lawsuit  is filed against Daanov, and  he is brought to justice," said Ismailov. -06D-