Azernews.Az

BAKU – A US journalist and a British rights defender have been attacked by unknown individuals in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, local reports say.

The two women - Amanda Erickson and Celia Davis - were assaulted by several young athletic men who began beating them without an explanation, the reports said.

"The young women were severely injured. They said they had been followed by the assailants prior to the attack," said a source that asked not to be named.

The US embassy in Baku has issued a statement saying it was aware of the crime and its staff was assisting the assault victims.

"They have reported the incident to the police, and all questions regarding the investigation should be addressed to the Azerbaijani police," the statement says.

Erickson declined to speak to Radio Liberty about the incident, saying that, "I don’t think there was a motive for an attack on us."

Orkhan Mansurzada, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said it would be wrong to comment on the matter while the investigation is in progress.

"It doesn’t matter to us if a foreign citizen or an Azerbaijani citizen is involved," Mansurzada said. "If anyone has suffered from a crime, they can report it to the police. And if they do so, due action is taken to disclose the crime. It will be established during the investigation what the motive was. It would be hasty to say anything for certain ahead of time."

Erickson, who collaborates with The Washington Post and New York Times, and rights champion Davis are holding a training for local journalists and civil society activists in Baku.