Authorities in Azerbaijan should thoroughly investigate a blogger’s accusations that police officers abducted and tortured him, rather than investigating the blogger for allegedly slandering police, the International Press Institute (IPI) said today.
The country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said yesterday that it had complained to prosecutors after blogger and activist Mehman Huseynov claimed that men in civilian clothes forcibly detained him on Monday evening, shoved him into a vehicle, forced a bag over his head and verbally and physically abused him.
Huseynov, who has gained prominence for his investigations into alleged corruption by government officials, was brought before a court on Tuesday and fined 200 AZN (approximately €100) on a charge of disobeying police officers. Following his release, he publicly recounted details of the alleged abduction, as well as ill-treatment by police officers.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, however, denied Huseynov’s allegations. It claimed that police responding to a report of two people “violating public order” in Baku’s Nasimi district detained Huseynov and another man after they refused to cease their “illegal activities”.
IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said that Huseynov’s claims should not be dismissed out of hand and must be investigated.
“Mr. Huseynov’s detailed account of his experience is extremely troubling,” he said. “Given his status and his lawyer’s statement that Mr. Huseynov’s body bears marks that support his claims, the case raises obvious concerns about police conduct toward journalists. The Ministry’s response – which will certainly lead others who believe they have been mistreated to think twice about coming forward – only heightens those concerns. We urge the Ministry to withdraw its complaint and for authorities to conduct a complete, transparent and credible investigation into the matter.”
Umud Mirzayev, chairman of the International Eurasia Press Fund and head of IPI’s Azerbaijan National Committee said that actions Huseynov attributed to police were unacceptable, adding that such cases interfered with and created obstacles to constructive negotiation between the government and media. He stressed the need for a review of the case, as well as a desire to prevent any similar incidents from happening in the future.