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Alert

Offenders guilty of beating editor-in-chief still at large after three years

(IRFS/IFEX) - On 19 May 2009, three years passed since the brutal beating of "Bizim Yol" newspaper editor-in-chief Baheddin Haziyev. No one has been held responsible for this grave crime up to this day. However, Haziyev is still hopeful.

"I have appealed to the Ministry of Interior, the Chief Prosecutor's Office of the Republic, and the National Security Ministry repeatedly in connection with this case," said Haziyev. "The answer I receive from the Ministry of Interior every time notes that the investigation into the case is in progress. However, they don't tell me anything about the progress into the case."

If the investigation does not bring out any results in the near future, he will appeal to court in connection with the investigative organ, notes Haziyev.

Ehsan Zahidov, of the Ministry of Interior Public Relations, told the IRFS that the investigation into the criminal case continues. "When the investigation is concluded, we'll inform the public and B. Haziyev about it," said Zahidov.

IRFS recalls that on the night of 18 May and into the early hours of 19 May 2006, Haziyev was kidnapped by unknown people close to his house and was subjected to horrific physical torture. On the morning of 19 May, Haziyev was found near Duzlu lake in Masazir village. His legs were broken (his attackers had run over his legs with a car) and he had suffered numerous other injuries.