In Azerbaijan, SOCAR holds inquiry into Abbasov's beating

Under the order of Rovnag Abdulaev, President of the SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan), a commission was set up at the company to investigate the events of April 18 in Sulu-Tepe residential area, where clashes between the company's securities and local residents took place. During the conflict journalists suffered, in particular, Idrak Abbasov, an employee of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and the "Aina" (Mirror) newspaper, was beaten.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the journalist was videoing the confrontation between the residents of Sulu-Tepe, a residential district from the township of Khodjasan, Binagadi District of Baku, and securities of the SOCAR, who demolished the house, built illegally, in their opinion. Idrak Abbasov received numerous contusions and bruises. The emergency ward of the city clinical centre said that the journalist was hospitalized with a craniocerebral trauma.

Five journalists suffered, while covering the confrontation. Activists of human rights and journalists' organizations have resolutely condemned the facts of pressure on media in Azerbaijan.

"Guilty employees will be punished"

The members of the commission set up by the SOCAR were instructed to "thoroughly investigate the events related to prevention by the employees of the security service - jointly with law enforcers - of illegal construction in the oil-extraction territories."

At the same time, the commission was ordered "to study the photo and video materials disseminated by the media and other materials in order to establish the actions of SOCAR employees and other participants of the events," said Eldar Orudjev, the head of the legal department of the SOCAR, at the today's press conference.

The commission was instructed to establish the employees who committed illegal acts against journalists. "The perpetrators, whoever they are, must be punished," said Mr Orudjev.

According to his story, the commission investigates the issue within the labour legislation and the charter of the company. Another aspect, that is, the criminal nature of actions against the journalist, is investigated by law enforcement bodies, said Orudjev. "We resolutely condemn the beating of the journalist. The SOCAR is interested to find and punish those guilty," he said.

At the same time, Eldar Orudjev noted that the journalist Abbasov was "an interested party, as he and his brothers have illegally built houses in Sulu-Tepe." The commission was asked to collect materials about the people who had illegally built houses and deliver the documents to law enforcement bodies.

Mr Orudjev has added that on April 18 seven employees of the SOCAR suffered in Sulu-Tepe.

"About 30,000 houses were built in SOCAR-owned land plots"

According to Eldar Orudjev, illegal construction has been conducted in Sulu-Tepe and other areas belonging to the SOCAR on the Apsheron Peninsula starting 2000. Since 2002, according to the SOCAR, the process has gained a widespread and massive nature.

In some places, illegal construction has brought a decline in oil extraction. Besides, the SOCAR is unable to perform its contractual obligations before international partners, the company's spokesman said.

All in all, on the lands belonging to SOCAR about 30,000 houses were built. Since 2006, the company is engaged in demolition of illegally built ones. The company has filed and won about 15,000 lawsuits, and 7000 ones are in preparation, said the head of the legal department of the SOCAR.

During the demolition of illegal buildings in Sulu-Tepe by SOCAR employees, about 200-250 local residents beat seven employees of the company and inflicted bodily injuries to them, said the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan.

"At the same time, locals Idrak Abbasov (the journalist was represented as a local resident, - note of the "Caucasian Knot") and Jamal Aliev received bodily injuries. They were hospitalized; their health condition is satisfactory," said the MIA.

After the incident, residents of Sulu-Tepe tried to block the 13th kilometre of the Baku-Shemakha Highway. "The illegal protest was stopped by the police; and 10 people were brought to the 40th station of the Binagadi District Police Department. After drawing up protocols on their administrative offences, they were released," said officials of the MIA.

"Abbasov was beaten with special cruelty"

Emin Guseinov, the head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), has treated the statement of law enforcement officials as an attempt to "hush up the case" and picture Abbasov as a participant of the incident with one of the conflicting parties, and not as a journalist.

"But this is not true. Idrak Abbasov was present there as a journalist. He was in a reporter's identification yellow vest marked "Press" and was silently making his video filming. He was beaten deliberately as a journalist; they beat him methodically, with special cruelty, trying to cause the maximum possible damage to his health," said Guseinov.

There are both photo and video evidences that Abbasov was in a yellow reporter's vest, said Emin Guseinov. According to his story, the violence against Abbasov should be qualified not only as a crime against a person, but also under the article of "hindrance to professional activity of a journalist."

Regarding the statement of the SOCAR official that Abbasov's house had been built illegally, Guseinov said that "in Azerbaijan, you won't be able to build a small kiosk without authorities' permit, not a house."

"EU may issue a special statement on Abbasov's case"

The situation around the beating of reporter Idrak Abbasov and attacks on a group of other journalists was discussed today at a meeting of media editors and heads of the journalists' organizations of Azerbaijan, held in the office of the newspaper "Aina" (Mirror).

The meeting has decided to address the country's president and ask to punish those guilty of beating Abbasov.

It was also decided to apply to the General Public Prosecutor, the Ombudsman and international organizations.

It was agreed to hold a media campaign to support the suffered journalists and take other steps to ensure the safety and protect the rights of journalists working at public events.

"Beating a journalist is an extraordinary incident; this should not happen," said Ambassador Rolan Kobia, the head of the EU mission in Baku.

He did not rule out that the EU may pass a special statement on the results of the investigation into Abbasov's beating.

Meanwhile, the health condition of Abbasov, who is treated at the City Clinical Centre, remains grave. "I feel very bad, the whole body hurts, especially internal organs. Pains are severe; doctors inject pain-relieving drugs all the time," the "Turan" Agency quotes Mr Abbasov as saying.

Almazkhan Zeinalov, a physician from the above Clinical Centre, has confirmed that the reporter's condition is grave but stable. "He has a big bruise around his right eye, and bruises and injuries all over his body. We've examined him thoroughly and carry out the necessary treatment," said the doctor.

"Azerbaijan must respect the freedom of the press"

Meanwhile, international organizations continue to criticize the official Baku for the situation with Abbasov's beating.

"The authorities think that by spreading colourful pictures on the eve of the "Eurovision" song contest, they form a positive image. However, it is clear that the authorities try to suppress any attempts to cast light on negative processes in the country," said John Dalussen, an official of the Amnesty International.

"The fact that the security service of the oil company in broad daylight openly attacked and beaten Idrak is an evidence of the atmosphere of impunity and open violation of journalists' rights in Azerbaijan," said Hugh Williamson, a representative of the Human Rights Watch, and called on the European Broadcasting Union to express its attitude to the incident.

The Freedom House has noted in its statement that Azerbaijan was and remains one of the worst places in the world for journalists to work, since independent media are constantly persecuted here.

Dunja Mijatovic, Special Representative of the OSCE for the freedom of the media, said that she was shocked by the attack on Abbasov and other journalists.

"This shocking news shows the atmosphere of violence and intolerance, in which journalists have to work in Azerbaijan. The authorities must identify and severely punish those who had attacked the journalists," Ms Mijatovic said in her statement, disseminated by the OSCE Baku office.