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Alert

SalamNews journalist assaulted while on duty

(IRFS/IFEX) - On 18 February 2010, SalamNews agency correspondent Zulfugar Kheyirkhabar was subjected to physical pressure. The agency's director, Gulnaz Gambarli, reported the incident to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety Hotline at 1:05 p.m.

Gambarli said that the correspondent was beaten during the implementation of his work and had gone to the Sabail District Police Office Police Department #9 to file a complaint.

IRFS employees immediately went to the police department where Kheyirkhabar detailed the incident. He said that at noon he wanted to prepare a report regarding an explosion at the Karvan tea house in front of the Economic University.

"Although I said that I was a journalist, someone standing at the door blocked my way and prevented me from taking photos and began to insult me," said Kheyirkhabar. "Then I found out that his name was Zaur and he was the lease-holder of the cafe. Although I asked him to be civil, he began to strike me aggressively. One person came from inside to help him and they used physical pressure against me."

Kheyirkhabar emphasized that police employees detained these individuals at his insistence, and took them to the Police Department #9. Kheyirkhabar added that an operation attorney named Ibrahim treated him rudely in the police department.

"I said that I was injured and wrote an appeal regarding physical pressure that I was subjected to," said Kheyirkhabar, who added that he will be examined. There were injuries to the correspondent's face.

Mammadov, the officer on duty at the police department, told IRFS that everything will be solved within the framework of the law.

"The appeal of the person who was subjected to pressure has been registered, but he did not write an explanation because he didn't feel well. A certificate has been given to him to be examined," said the officer on duty.

SalamNews ( http://www.salamnews.org ) has been operating since November 2009.