Mustafa Hajibayli: Interrogations in Prosecutor's Office Moral Torture

Baku / 20.07.18 / Turan: The editor-in-chief of the website bastainfo.com was again summoned for questioning to the Baku Prosecutor's Office on July 20, where he was held for three hours. After that he was released, saying that today he will be called again.

"Since July 9, I have been questioned almost daily in the prosecutor's office for many hours. Interrogations are associated with a number of publications on the website bastainfo.com.

Today I was asked questions about year-old and 2-year-old articles, which are irrelevant. In fact, it's already been a day that I've been kept under moral pressure. They ask questions, which are not relevant to the criminal case. I regard this as moral torture," Hajibeyli said in a conversation with Turan.

On July 14, other employees of bastainfo.com were questioned at the Baku Prosecutor's Office.

The head of the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, Eldar Sultanov, denied Hajibeyli's statement about pressure on him. "On the criminal case, the necessary investigative measures are continuing. Mustafa Hajibayli is interrogated on this case. There is no question of exerting pressure on him," Sultanov said.

Recall that on July 9 Hajibeyli was told that he was involved as a witness in the criminal case under Article 313 (official forgery). On the same day, the Prosecutor General's Office announced the initiation of a criminal investigation into the dissemination of "false information" and "illegal appeals" in some Internet resources in connection with an attempt on the head of Gence Elmar Veliyev.

In this regard, the prosecutor's office appealed to the Ministry of Communications to block the websites bastainfo.com, criminalaz.com, topxeber.az and fia.az. -06D--