In his post, Mr Aliyev wrote that Huseynov “did not know how to behave”, and called him “immoral and ill-bred” for his conduct. His eventual attacker reportedly coaxed the reporter into meeting for tea by convincing Aliyev he was Huseynov’s cousin and wanted to apologize in person. Azerbaijan is a risky country for reporters.
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The Qabala FK club said on August 10 that Huseynov had been suspended until the investigations are over.
Aliyev claimed he then called the police, but “they didn’t do anything”.
They argue that reports indicating that the journalist was killed because of his criticism of an Azerbaijani football player’s manner rather than because he criticized the waving of the Turkish flag after a match against a Greek Cypriot team, as the main Turkish news sources reported on Monday, are inaccurate. In the attack, which took place in a commercial area under constant surveillance by security cameras, Aliyev was assaulted by a group of men, knocked to the ground, and kicked repeatedly for about 40 seconds.
Rasim Aliyev, a 31-year-old journalist, has died of internal injuries sustained during an attack by supporters of a local soccer player.
Rasim Aliyev, 30, died in hospital after being beaten by a group of men irked over his Facebook post about a football match between Apollon and Gabala in Azerbaijan.
Aliyev received threats on Facebook after writing the post, according to Turan’s story.
Aliyev eventually agreed to meet and drove to see the man and, when getting out of his auto to greet him, was attacked from behind by his accomplices.
Gabala expressed regret over the incident, adding that Huseynov has been dropped from the first team until the case was cleared.
Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev, who is no relation to the journalist, said he was “seriously concerned” by the incident, calling it a “threat to freedom of speech”, according to a local news agency.
Global rights groups, the United States, and the European Union routinely criticize Azerbaijan’s poor record on human rights and freedom of speech under President Aliyev, who critics say has cracked down on the independent media since he succeeded his long-ruling father in 2003.
The head of Azerbaijan’s Press Council, Aflatun Amasov, said that Mr Aliyev’s death “must not be politicised”.
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“We condemn the killing of Rasim Aliyev and urge authorities to probe the fatal attack in the most thorough and transparent way”, said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova.
