Official Baku condemns pressure on journalist

Azerbaijan, Baku, April 20 / Trend M.Aliyev / Fact of the pressure on Idrak Abbasov during the demolition of houses in Sulutepe is being investigated. Journalists should be able to perform their professional duties regardless of the circumstances, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov told Trend on Friday. A few days ago journalist Idrak Abbasov was injured during the demolition of illegal buildings in the territory of oil and gas industries, owned by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). "The incident is being investigated. But, as I understood from the information at the moment, Abbasov was beaten not because he was a journalist, but because of a misunderstanding during the demolition of buildings," said Hasanov. He said it is incorrect to interpret the event as a pressure on freedom of speech and press in Azerbaijan. "It is neither absolutely a pressure on the freedom of speech and press in Azerbaijan, nor a confrontation between the media and government, as some of the media present it. In Azerbaijan, the freedom of speech, the press is a constitutional norm, and the government guarantees them, and it will continue," Ali Hasanov said. It is important, he said, that during participation in such actions journalists must differ from the event participants by clothes, behavior and location. "This is to ensure that those who establish order and those engaged in the demolition of buildings would be able to distinguish a journalist from the participants of the incident. Journalists covering such actions must be in special clothes, and should not interfere," Hasanov said. Hasanov stressed that this issue is under investigation. According to him, it is being investigated under which conditions the incident occurred, who organized it, and whether the participants of the events knew that Abbasov is a journalist. Yesterday, however, SOCAR officials said they were unaware that Idrak Abbasov was a journalist. They said illegal buildings of Abbasov's relatives were being demolished, and he went there to protect them, and the incident occurred because of this. In any case, the oil company is conducting investigation. Information on the results will be announced. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az