Oktay Iskanderli: The Murder of My Brother Was Planned and Executed by Professional Killers

The investigative team from the prosecutor's office and police in France continues to investigate the murder of Vidadi Iskanderli, the victim's brother, Oktay Iskanderli said. "According to one version from the investigation team, the murder was planned and carried out by professional killers. The killers did not take any valuables from the house, nor did they take the computer, phone, or money," he said.

"The investigation is closed; family members have been questioned several times, but we have not been provided with any information about the clients or the perpetrators," he noted. Oktay added that the body of Vidadi Iskanderli has not yet been returned to the family for burial. The family wishes to bury him in the city of Mulhouse.

It is recalled that Azerbaijani political émigré Vidadi Iskanderli was attacked by unknown individuals in his home on September 29 and died in the hospital on October 1. The assailants inflicted more than 20 stab wounds on him.

Iskanderli was known for his sharp and emotional criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities on social media. He was arrested in Baku in 2011 and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison on charges of obstructing the activities of electoral commissions. Iskanderli was released in December 2012 under an amnesty and emigrated to France in 2015.