Four detained in Baku over attack on expats
BAKU – Four suspects have been detained over the recent attack on two expatriate women in Baku.
The four are residents of the Azerbaijani capital aged 18 to 28, the interior ministry said.
US journalist Amanda Erickson and British rights defender Celia Davis were beaten by unknown individuals late on June 15. Davis’ arm was broken.
The suspects said the incident had occurred after they sought to get acquainted with the two women.
According to Erol Aliyev, a police investigator, Nazim Huseynov, one of the detainees, extended his cell phone to the women, and they took it and slammed it on the ground.
Adil Taghizada, another detainee, told the Baku-based ANS TV channel: "We wanted to get acquainted with them. But after they broke Nazim’s phone, I tripped the girls to the ground. Then we ran away."
Erickson, who collaborates with The Washington Post and The New York Times, and rights champion Davis are holding trainings for local journalists and civil society activists in Baku.
A criminal case has been launched on charges of hooliganism committed by a group of people.
According to the Baku-based Institute for Reporter Freedom and Security (IRFS), which cooperates with the two foreign nationals, both women are currently outside Azerbaijan. Rights defender Davis is being treated for her arm injury in Britain.
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!