Journalist of Newspaper Azadlig Subjected to Pressure from Traffic Police

A reporter of the newspaper Azadlig, Natig Gulahmedoglu July 8 was subjected to pressure from the employees of the State Traffic Police (STP). It happened in Sumgait, where the journalist was preparing a report for the TV program Azerbaijani Hour, which is broadcast on satellite television broadcasts from Turkey.

In the preparation of reportage he accidentally witnessed a dispute between the traffic police and the driver of a private car.

Gulahmedoglu tried to take it on a tablet, said the journalist. However, the traffic police sergeant pounced on him and began to publicly insult him, even though he introduced himself a journalist.

The reporter was taken into a car traffic police and held there for more than an hour, although the traffic police has no right to arrest anybody.

After the dispute the journalist was released.

Gulahmedoglu saw this as a hindrance to his professional activity, which is punishable by the Penal Code. He intends to appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In this case, the journalist found out that he was attacked by a police officer Allahverdi Zamanov, who is an athlete and a coach in the Azerbaijan Federation of Martial Arts Sayokan.

We have not yet succeeded to get comments on the case from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. -06B -