On 13 March the Azeri”Azadlig” Newspaper journalist Agil Khalil was attacked by four unknown people as he was leaving the office of “Azadlig newspaper”and stabbed in the chest, near his heart by knife. It was the second assault on Khalil in a month, which brought him to hospital. (15-MAR-08)
Written by Shahla Ismayilova/HRH Azerbaijan on the basis of materials from Turan News Agency, IRFS, Yeni Musavat newspaper, Leader TV; photo from Yeni Musavat newspaper
Agil Khalil, 25, was leaving Azadlig’s office in Baku at around 8 p.m., when he was approached by the four men. Khalil recognized one of them as having followed him for several days and tried to flee.
Warned not to report about cutting of trees
This was the second assault on Khalil in a month. Two unidentified men attacked the journalist on February 22 as he was trying to report on the cutting down of trees in the Baku area known as Olive Gardens. The men beat Khalil, broke his finger, took his press ID, and tried to strangle him with his camera’s cord. Khalil immediately reported the incident to police. Before the attack, Khalil had been warned not to report on the matter. Later he confirmed that his case material has been returned by Baku City Chief Police Department to Binagedi Police Department #7. Agil Khalil, emphasizing that it appears that law enforcement agencies are trying to conceal his case, said that he had already appealed to lawyer Elchin Sadigov and will appeal to the court about this matter.
The reaction on the event
On March 14 the investigator of the Chief Police Department for emergency cases interrogated the correspondent of Azadlig newspaper Agil Khalil (until 23:00). The photo-robot of one of the attackers spying a journalist during the last two weeks was made.
During news programs on Saturday and Sunday, “Leader” TV disseminated a special report on the stabbing of “Azadlig” Newspaper journalist Agil Khalil. The newscasters, who portrayed the incident as artificial agitation, said, “The journalist, whose condition is good, is under the supervision of doctors. Even though Khalil’s condition is good and doctors have told him he can go home, for some reason the journalist does not want to leave the hospital.”
According to Leader’s newscaster, certain political forces will try to take advantage of this situation in the run-up to the presidential elections. The newscaster said “International Crisis Group” Director Sabina Frazier has released one such statement.” S. Frazier is trying to convince radical camps in Azerbaijan to repeat the events that occurred in Armenia,” the newscaster said. “Naturally, in the pre-election period this is a prognosis for listeners from radical camps which are functioning under a number of groups that occupy anti-Azerbaijan positions.”
Series of violent attacks
The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces brutal attack on Agil Khalil. “This is the latest in a series of violent attacks carried out in an attempt to intimidate journalists in Azerbaijan,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “We call on the police to apprehend all those involved in this cowardly act. Failure to do so would once again embolden the enemies of Azerbaijan’s independent and opposition press.”
