Azeri Journalist Ramin Deko Kidnapped then Beaten

Azadliq (RFE/RL Azeri service) journalist Ramin Deko says he was beaten in Baku on Apr. 3. The incident occurred when he was returning home from the office. Two unidentified individuals attacked him and began beating him up, while "advising" him to cut his ties with the opposition and not participate in protests. Fortunately, the journalist managed to escape, reports Contact.az. On the morning of Apr. 3, Deco was kidnapped by unknown assailants in civilian clothes. According to the English translation of the original Azadliq article (in Azeri) posted by Leyla Najafli on her blog, Deco was taken to the Mashtagha area.

"He told Azadliq Radiosu (RFE/RL Azeri service) that throughout the journey they were advising him to 'be smart'. Later, he says, until 4 pm, he was held in an unknown house and had to listen to people praising the government’s politics. He adds that they mentioned his active during the opposition protests and advised him to stop taking part.

“'They said to me that, we’re giving you advice: work for Yeni Azerbaijan newspaper, then good conditions will be created for you. They didn’t use physical force on me, but they pressured me morally. I was seated into a car ... as I was buying a newspaper from a kiosk, and my phone was taken away and switched off immediately.

"Ramin Deko says that about six hours later he was released in the Binagadi area, out of a car of a foreign model: 'They brought me in a black foreign car. On the way they said that, if you behave yourself, if you leave Azadliq newspaper, you’ll have a car like this too'," writes Najafli.

Deco believes that those who attacked him have a connection with those who previously kidnapped him. Note, this is the second time in the last 10 days that an Azadliq staffer has been assaulted. On the night of Mar. 25–26, Seymur Haziyev says he was kidnapped and beaten by 6 masked thugs.