UPDATE ON STABBED AZERBAIJANI JOURNALIST

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000268 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/CARC AND DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AJ SUBJECT: UPDATE ON STABBED AZERBAIJANI JOURNALIST REF: BAKU 00257 Classified By: Acting DCM Jonathan Henick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Agil Khalil, the Azadliq newspaper corespondent who was stabbed and subsequently hospitalized on March 13 (reftel),reports that his physical condition is improving, although he remains weak. Acting Azadliq Editor Azer Ahmedov, speaking on behalf of Khalil, told us that Khalil left the Clinic Medical Center Hospital on March 18 in part because the hospital staff was becoming nervous about the publicity surrounding his case. The Ambassador and other diplomats visited Khalil on March 14 (reftel),and there was significant media coverage of these events. According to Ahmedov, Khalil said harassment from Lider TV - which reportedly sought to capture him on film and portray him as healthy - also contributed to his decision to voluntarily sign himself out of the hospital. ¶2. (C) According to Ahmedov, Khalil remains nervous about his security after the March 13 stabbing, but needs to stay in Baku for several more days for the investigation into the March 13 attack to be completed. The Baku Police Department has provided two officers to protect Khalil. When the investigation is finished, Khalil plans on departing Baku and staying with his parents in Kurdamir, to let tensions cool down. ¶3. (C) Ahmedov suggested that the Baku police may not have aggressively investigated the separate February 22 attack on him until the March 13 attack. As evidence, Khalil reportedly said that while he was at the Baku Police Department regarding the investigation into the March 13 attack, he learned that the police had only recently been pursuing witnesses to the February 22 attack. Ahmedov confirmed press reports that Khalil had identified his assailants in the February 22 attack. According to press reports, one of the alleged assailants, Daghbayi Allahverdiyev, is rumored to have close links to the Ministry of National Security. The name of the second alleged assailant has not been released to the press. He is rumored to have left Azerbaijan in order to avoid arrest. ¶4. (C) The Embassy has reached out to Baku City Police Chief Rafiq Abbasov to express our concern and push for an aggressive investigation into both attacks. The Ambassador is also trying to reach Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev to encourage a timely investigation. We continue to monitor the case. DERSE