Details added (first version posted on 17:24)
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 30
Trend:
There is no journalist named Rahim Namazov, said Aflatun Amashov, chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan.
He was commenting on reports about Rahim Namazov, also known as Rahim Shakinskiy, who allegedly was a journalist shot by a gunman in Toulouse, France.
“In the disseminated information, as well as in the French TV channel's report the issue is put in such a way that an Azerbaijani journalist was shot. As chairman of the Press Council and a man who has worked in the media for a long time, I declare that there is no journalist named Rahim Namazov. This name does not form any idea in the media community of the country. There are dozens of people who have received a journalist certificate in various ways for the purpose of obtaining asylum abroad. Apparently, Rahim Namazov is one of them. Therefore, I can say that an armed attack on this person in France cannot be connected with journalism activity,” Amashov noted.
“If the issue is investigated in a different aspect, then we will reach a more objective result. I ask media representatives, in particular, internet information resources, to take this into account,” the chairman noted.
A gunman shot and gravely wounded Rahim Namazov and killed his wife near the southern French city of Toulouse on Friday.
Reportedly, Namazov has been living in Toulouse since 2010.
OSCE has also reacted to this incident and called for taking measures to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators and the sponsors of this heinous crime.