Journalists Demand New Investigation into Elmar Huseynov’s Murder

Baku / 03.02.20 / Turan: On March 2, journalists, public and political figures held a rally in memory of Elmar Huseynov, editor of Monitor magazine, who was shot dead exactly 15 years ago on the threshold of his house.

Laying red carnations on Elmar’s grave, the audience noted the damage that was done to the independent journalism of the country by this vile murder.

The head of the party, Musavat Arif Hajili, said that the assassination of Elmar was a targeted blow not only to journalism, but throughout society. However, those who tried to intimidate society miscalculated - the struggle continues, he said.

The authorities cannot and do not want to solve this crime, for they have direct involvement in it, said Isa Gambar, head of the center of National Strategic Thought.

The deputy chairman of the Popular Front party, journalist Seymour Hazi, expressed confidence that the customers of the assassination of Elmar did not reach the goal of intimidating society and silencing it. Rather, the opposite happened: today, many young people who have never seen Elmar Huseynov continue his work. Themes and issues raised at one time by Elmar are being continued today by a new generation that is learning from Elmar's materials, Hazi said.

Blogger Mehman Huseynov expressed his conviction that interest in the work of Elmar will only grow. He called on the authorities to abandon the policy of persecuting dissidents and begin real reforms in the country.

The head of the Ganun publishing house, Shahbaz Khuduoglu, criticized the authorities for the formal approach of the authorities to the investigation of the Huseynov murder. According to him, the authorities ignored all the proposals of the public and colleagues to help in the investigation. This demonstrated a reluctance to solve this murder. He stated that nothing is stopping today from resuming the investigation.

The director of the Turan agency Mehman Aliyev called on the authorities to conduct a new investigation into the murder of Elmar Huseynov, stressing that the public does not recognize the official results of the investigation. “The society does not recognize and does not accept the official version, and we demand a new, full investigation, disclosure and name of the customers and performers,” he said.

* E. Huseynov was killed by seven pistol shots on the stairs of the house where he lived. The Turkish investigators involved in the investigation said they had uncovered the crime. But they were removed from the country. Authorities said the murder was committed by ethnic Azerbaijanis from Georgia, Tahir Khubanov and Teymuraz Aliyev.

Azerbaijani authorities claim that these individuals are wanted through Interpol, but the Georgian authorities have denied this. In fact, the case was suspended and no one is looking for these persons.

There is a version of involvement in the murder of a criminal group, led at that time by Interior Ministry Colonel Haji Mammadov, who was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for numerous murders and abductions and died in prison.   -02B-