National Council Condemns Mehman Aliyev�s Detention

Baku / 25.08.17 / Turan: The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) has condemned the detention of the Director of Turan News Agency, Mehman Aliyev.

NCDF said this detention has put an end to the most respectable and first independent agency that has gained confidence in the world information space.

"The Agency has been silenced by the tax authorities, and Mehman Aliyev was detained on charges of tax evasion and abuse of authority.

Unfortunately, since 2014 tax authorities have been used as an instrument against free media. The tax department acts more like a power agency than an economic one.

Mehman Aliyev is one of the most honest and impeccable citizens of Azerbaijan. He has always avoided "support" from the authorities and did not participate in the division of apartments allocated by the authorities. Therefore, the Agency he led did not fall into dependence on the authorities in any form.

The high professionalism of Mehman Aliyev is also indicated by the fact that he refused the offer of the authorities to work for them.

NCDF regards the detention of Mehman Aliyev as another difficult stage in the strangulation of freedom of thought and speech, and this detention will remain as the dirtiest action in the history of modern Azerbaijan.

Mehman Aliyev was detained absolutely unreasonably. NCDF calls on the authorities to release him," the statement says.

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