Idrac Abbasov, despite growing pressure from the outside, does not intend to leave the country

"Despite the growing threats against my family and me personally, I do not intend to leave Azerbaijan," the correspondent of Ayna – Zerkalo, Idrac Abbasov, told Objective TV.

Two months ago his young child was deliberately knocked down by a car, and doctors miraculously rescued the boy. Abbasov’s wife faces with aggression from the neighbors. When the child is in the kindergarten, the house is stoned. The other day a neighbor, who served most of his adult life in prison, threatened the journalist with the words "you're behaving badly." The events have been moving so after employees of the state oil company (SOCAR) beat several journalists, including Abbasov, during the demolition of housing in the Sulutepe village of the Binagadi district of Baku on April 18. He was broken two ribs, the attackers badly damaged his body parts, and especially injured his right eye. Despite the long-term treatment in hospital, his vision has not restored.

SOCAR conducts an internal investigation into the incident and the Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case. However, the journalist is not satisfied with the investigation and considers it "hopeless undertaking." In conclusion, following the internal investigation, the oil company says that the security service had to defend themselves against “armed attackers”.

He is also displeased with the Interior Ministry’s bias. The police did not initiate criminal proceedings under Article 163 of the Criminal Code ("obstruction of the lawful professional activities of journalists"), although Abbasov sent to the scene by the editorial office had an identification vest marked "Press" on. Initially, the investigator did not give him even the status of the victim, which was done only after the arrival of the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who expressed her concerns about the pressure on journalists such as Idrac Abbasov and Khadija Ismailova.

"Until now, the customers of the murders of the journalists Elmar Huseynov and Rafiq Tagi have not been found. The death of Novruzali Mamedov and many other civil society activists is still shrouded in mystery. I believe that the law enforcement will slow the case down and forget it. It makes no difference for them, if there is a victim more or less; the political power turns a blind eye to their "pranks," concluded Abbasov. - 17D-