Human rights activist: “I was told that Huseyn Bakikhanov fell from the 7th floor of the Rooms Hotel”

Azerbaijani opposition blogger Huseyn Bakikhanov was reportedly found dead in Tbilisi.

Huseyn Bakikhanov was arrested on May 7 during a rally in Baku and sentenced to 15 days in prison. The activist had previously stated that he had been tortured in police custody.

Aftandil Mammadov, a human rights activist currently living in Georgia, told Meydan TV about his death. He said Huseyn Bakikhanov arrived in Georgia in early June after his release. He asked the Georgian government for political asylum.

“She did all kinds of things to make a living,” he said. He worked part-time in construction and also translated from English and Russian. He also contacted me for legal assistance. I gave him advice. On the 12th of this month, I received a phone call from a police officer. He said he was attacked by a group in Freedom Square in central Tbilisi. “I’m out of balance, I came to the police to complain. I’ll pick it up here on the police phone, ”he said.

Aftandil Mammadov said he told him at the time to contact him as soon as he left the police:

“He called a day later to say he had gone to an investigation into the beatings. Then I saw that he shared it on YouTube. He even told me that he would turn to the Georgian Ombudsman. Because he thought those who hit him were particularly targeted. On July 13th he gave an interview to “Obyektiv TV”. I haven’t spoken to him since that day. “

Aftandil Mammadov says Huseyn Bakikhanov usually calls him every 2-3 days. When he did not call for a long time, he became suspicious and began to look:

“I woke up and didn’t call for days. I called the numbers I had, it was closed. I thought that maybe his phone was out of power or at work he turned it off. After a few days of silence, I posted a status on Facebook. Then I appealed to international organizations in Tbilisi. I said I haven’t heard from him since the 13th of the month, help me find him. It never occurred to me that such an event would take place. I was called yesterday and told that Huseyn Bakikhanov was found dead. “

Aftandil Mammadov then contacted the Georgian Interior Ministry. He also told the police yesterday:

“I was even asked to testify in the investigation today. I was told that Huseyn Bakikhanov fell from the 7th floor of the Rooms Hotel in central Tbilisi. It is currently unknown whether it is a suicide or an assassination attempt. An investigation is ongoing. “

Aftandil Mammadov said this is not the first death of Azerbaijani migrants abroad. Previously, the bodies of Vgar Rzayev in Belgium and Bayram Mammadov in Turkey were found. This raises doubts. He says he doubts it could be a conspiracy, thinking about all of that.

Huseyn Bakikhanov said in a video shared on YouTube that he was attacked by five Azerbaijanis in central Tbilisi: “Suddenly I was insulted. When I tried to answer them, they attacked me. “

He recorded the video in an ambulance. He said he had to call the police and the ambulance. He said he fled Azerbaijan and has a few days left to get refugee status from Georgia.

One of the first to spread information about the incident was the Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who lives in Germany. On July 29, the journalist said Bakikhanov was being followed by Azerbaijani police.

“On July 12th, he was beaten by a group of Azerbaijanis in Tbilisi. Hussein called the police and the ambulance. However, his internal organs were not examined. During his stay in Tbilisi, he constantly criticized the Azerbaijani government on his channel. I ask the Georgian media to pay attention to the issue, ”wrote Afgan Mukhtarli on his Facebook account.

So far, the Georgian police have not commented on this.