Reporter Beaten after Interview with Ali Karimli

Baku / 21.04.20 / Turan: On April 20, reporter Teymur Kerimov, who collaborates with the Azad Soz Internet channel (Freedom of Speech), was beaten.

In the afternoon, he and his colleague recorded a video interview with the leader of the Popular Front Party, Ali Karimli, in his apartment. At 15:30, when leaving the building, a black car with the license plates 99 MA 741 followed them.

The reporters went to the Court of Appeal, where the trial of the case of opposition activist Tofig Yagublu was held, and the same car arrived with several people there. The reporter’s colleagues noticed that those in the car were taking photos of them. This was noticed by other journalists who were at the courthouse.

“After returning from court, a resident of the 9th micro district called me (one of the Baku suburbs - ed.), asking me to make a report about their difficult situation. When I arrived there, immediately four people arrived in two cars, demanding we not take photos there.

I introduced myself as a press officer, but they ordered me to delete my photos, and when I refused, they began to beat me and took away the camera and laptop. Having broken the camera, they took away the card where there was an interview with Ali Karimli.

I don’t know exactly who these people were, but I’ll file a complaint with the police today about the attack on me,” Teymur Kerimov told Turan.

* The Internet resource Azad Soz was founded by the political emigrant Tural Sadigli, who received asylum in Europe several years ago. Sadigli himself and his channel are known as ardent critics of the Azerbaijani government.   -02B-