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Investigation on Azadlig Newspaper’s Journalist Discontinued in Azerbaijan – Lawyer

Society Materials 15 April 2008 12:57 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 15 April / Trend corr. I.Alizade / The Prosecutor General's Office has discontinued the investigation on the case of the opposition Azadlig newspaper's journalist. On 13 March, Agil Khalil, a journalist of the Azadlig newspaper, was stabbed in the chest by unknown assailants. He was immediately taken to the Clinical Medical Centre where he was operated on. "The investigation on the case was discontinued as Khalil refused to participate in the investigation and cooperate with the investigators," Elchin Sadigli, Khalil's lawyer, stated Trend .

The Prosecutor General's Office launched into an investigation on the consideration that the journalist was tortured and forced to give evidence. The Office stated that the assault on Khalil was sexually-related. However, Khalil said that he was tortured by the investigators to provide evidence.

According to the lawyer, the investigation at this stage should entail questioning with the journalist and other witnesses. However, this was not possible as the accused did not attend the meeting. The lawyer stated the witnesses who were invited to give evidence were homosexuals.

"We appealed to Zakir Garallov, Prosecutor-General, to investigate the report of torture against the journalist. Under the legislation, no investigation can take place until the Prosecutor-General responds to our appeal. This should be done within 48 hours. However, there has been no response for over a week," Sadigli said.

The investigation will continue should the Prosecutor-General not endorse the reports of torture. Journalist will be invited to participate in the investigation. Khalil will be forced to take part in the process.

Eldar Afandiyev, chief of the Public Relations Department, has denied reports that the investigation has been discontinued. According to Afandiyev, the investigation is still continuing.

The correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]

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