Nakhchivan Journalists Interrogated for Several Hours

On the morning of 26 December, journalists Ilgar Nasibov and Elman Abbasov, received a call at 9 am from the police in the Sadarak region of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. At 11 am, the journalists were summoned to the building and questioning continued.

Ilgar Nasibov spouse of the director of the local NGO Development Resource Center and Democracy Malahat Nasibova, reported the local police chiefs and prosecutors were involved in the questioning as well as the Attorney General of Nakhchivan Sabuhi Hagverdiev, who specifically arrived from Nakhchivan.

Recall these journalists, on December 8, reported the beating and arrest of two local businessmen, Nadir Mamedov and Mamed Gurbanov, by customs officials.

The reason for this conflict was extortion of a bribe by customs. When reporters arrived, the customs officers attacked them. Later the businessmen were prosecuted on charges of resisting authorities.

Yesterday, their lawyer said that he met with Nadir Mamedov, who reported that he was tortured and beaten and forced to testify against the aforementioned journalists.

"I fear that Ilgar and Elman will be arrested on these trumped up charges," Malahat Nasibova told Turan. -0-