Ilgar Nasibov, doesn’t remember who attacked and beaten him up. His wife, human rights defender Malahat Nasibovs says, the couple was threatened numerously by the Ministry of Interior staff.
11.30 Ilgar Nasibov’s condition remains serious. He is currently held in an intensive care ward under doctor’s supervision.
Doctors are intending to have another check up later today. The patient is suffering from a major concussion, because of this, the doctors are asking not disturb the patient.
“He actually recognized one of his assailants. His name is Farid. He came often to our office. Ilgar said he was holding a metal piece that was shaped like a hand. Ilgar received a phone call from Farid, who requested that Ilgar comes to the office” said Ilgar Nasibov’s wife, Malahat Nasibova in an interview.
According to Mrs. Nasibova, the prosecutor and the police have done a preliminary inquiry. They stopped by the office as well. “I told them I am suspicious it was the local representatives of the Ministry of the Interior”.
Mrs. Nasibova says the doctors are suspecting internal bleeding. To prevent bleeding when the patient was submitted, they had to apply stitches under the eyebrows, chin and nose.
“His face and body was covered with blood. I cannot recognize his face. According to the doctors, Ilgar’s nose and cheek bones are broken and that he has multiple cracks on his skull and chest. He has sustained serious injuries on his back and in his legs. He cannot see” said his wife on his current condition.
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In an interview with Meydan TV, Malahat Nasibova said her husband was beaten on August 21st, around 9pm.
“His condition is in a terrible state. He was beaten to death, we found him in the office covered in blood, his face in a state beyond recognition, he lost a lot of blood. He was hit on his head, and then brought to the office unconscious. Ilgar cannot remember anything right now. It is likely that the perpetrators found the office keys in his pocket. The only thing he remembers that he was attacked my several men. He was beaten badly at the office. After he regained consciousness he called us and told us with great difficulty of what happened.”
According to Malahat Nasibov, her husband received injuries about a month and a half ago when an unidentified car drove on Ilgar:
“I suspect Nakchivan branch of the Ministry of Interior. Their staff threatened us numerous times. And all of this because of her husbands journalist work and her work as the human rights defender. We have worked and lived here for many years, but we never saw anything like this”.
Someone tried breaking into Nasibov’s apartment on August 6. The unidentified person tried breaking the door to their apartment. Although the lock was damaged, the person was unable to break in. Malahat Nasibova suspects this too was part of the special services work.
Malahat Nasibova is the director of the Resource Center in support of Democracy in Nakchivan. She is also a journalist. Ilgar Nasibov also worked in this office and cooperates with a number of local media outlets.
In previous years, the couple was subject to threats and harassment by local government as a result of their work in the field of civic rights defense and their criticism of the government.