Azerbaijani journalist claims he was threatened by the state security service
Accused of ties to Armenians
On September 13, journalist Nurlan Gahramanly (Libre) was summoned to the State Security Service (SSS) in Azerbaijan, as reported to Voice of America by the journalist himself.
Nurlan Gahramanly said that the SSS threatened him with rape because of his posts on social networks:
“They told me not to continue publishing posts against the war. In particular, I talked to two SSS officers there, one of whom spoke softly and the other aggressively. I was there for about two hours. The demand was that I should not write anything against the war. They said that we are not in a war situation, that what I write is harmful to the general work of the country, and that I am doing a favor to the special services of Armenia by my writing.”
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The journalist said that he would appeal to the court in connection with the summons to the SSS and threats received there.
According to Nurlan, he had previously been threatened and abused by officers of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“In October 2020, a man who called himself the head of the department held me on his knees for half an hour and was violent. He accused me of working for Armenian special services, as well as the State Security Service of Azerbaijan (bilateral espionage). According to him, I was transmitting videos from the front to Armenia,” he said.
The journalist said that the agency forcibly shot the video with apologies and told him not to publicize everything that happened there. He was released the same day around 20:00.
After this case, regarding the invitation of Nurlan Gahramanly to the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was reported that the person who called the 102 service said that a social network user named Nurlan was posting against the state and the army and that he wanted the law enforcement agencies to investigate this person:
“On this occasion, Nurlan was invited to the department. There, with his consent, a video explanation was taken from him. After that he was released. He was invited because it was a matter related to the state security system and he gave an explanation in front of the camera. He was also explained why he was invited. An investigation is currently underway. Nurlan’s claims that he was subjected to physical pressure in the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Interior Ministry are groundless,” the agency said.
The SSS did not answer journalists’ questions about this.
