DUSHANBE, September 5, 2011, Asia-Plus — Khurshed Atovullo (Niyozov), the editor-in-chief of the Dushanbe independent weekly
Farazh
, considers that the attack on him does not relate to his professional activities.
Khurshed Atovullo told Asia-Plus on Monday that he forgave the attackers and took his applications from the Sine-2 police station.
According to him, he, his brother and his brother-in-law were going to the Dushanbe’s Zarafshon-2 area to their relatives’ home to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr when unknown young men attacked and beat them.
“I was driving to the Zarafshon-2 area when a car that was moving in front of us blocked the road and forced me to stop,” said Khurshed Atovullo, “Three teenagers aged 17 armed with baseball bats got out of the car and began to beat us and four other teenagers staying on the side of the road joined those three assailants,” said Atovullo. “They probably thought that we pursued them.”
“On September 1, four of the assailants — all of them are 17-year-old teenagers — were detained,” said the Farazh editor, “Their relatives came to my home and asked me to take the application form the police station and I decided to forgive them.”
We will recall that Tajik Journalists’ Union (TJU), the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit) and the Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law of Tajikistan (BHR) on September 1 released a joint statement, in which they strongly condemn an attack on Khurshed Atovullo (Khurshed Niyozov).
The statement, in particular, notes that it is already the second case of attack on journalists in Tajikistan this year that “evokes serious concern.”
We will recall that Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, a member of the Islamic Revival (IRP)’s political council and editor-in-chief of its newspaper,
Najot
, was attacked on February 7 this year on his way to the newspaper”s office in Dushanbe. Sayfullozoda was reportedly set upon by two assailants after a third person approached him and attempted to distract him. He suffered a blow to the skull and severe bruising around his eyes and mouth.
“It is still impossible to say with certainty that the attack related to professional activities of Khurshed Niyozov. However, an attack not only on a journalist but also on any citizen of Tajikistan during celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary the country’s independence evokes serious concern.”
TJU, Nansmit and BHR calls on the law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate the attack on Khurshed Niyozov.
