The journalist Rasim Aliyev is in a hospital. Several ribs are broken, but an interview with opposition television, which he can give without major problems. There is a video of this conversation, Aliyev says he has pain in spite of painkillers, he scratches himself with a hand on his head. The doctors say it's not a life-threatening thing. A few hours later he's dead.

Aliyev was one of few independent journalists in Azerbaijan, and his death has to do with football. On Sunday German national football team in Kaiserslautern is playing against representatives of country on Caspian Sea, and one of reasons why Aliyev had to die is likely to be on court.

In Germany, 's history is known because WDR broadcast "Sport inside" has researched it. "Sport inside" is a investigative-critical sports extension. The public service institutions find that Sunday evening at 22:45 p.m. in regional programme is a suitable place for broadcasting, so contributions are usually relatively few people see. But this story has penetrated up to Reinhard Grindel. On Saturday, DFB president said: "This process is unbelievable tragic, suffering of family immense." He wanted to appeal to representatives of Azerbaijan on official dinner.

Nobody knows why journalist died

The story of death of's begins with a Turkish flag. The club FK Qäbälä from Azerbaijan plays in Cyprus, and footballer Jawid Hüseynow shows after match red flag with star and crescent-on divided island a provocation. After game, a journalist tells him that Hüseynow responds offensively. Aliyev sees a video of insult and writes on Facebook: "I do not want such an outrageous and ill-bred footballer to represent me in soccer courts of Europe."

Hüseynow reads this post and writes Aliyev, he wants to meet him in a café on outskirts of Baku. Aliyev comes, Hüseynow not-for that his cousin and a handful of thugs. They throw Aliyev on floor, kick on him, a surveillance camera films scene. Aliyev can flee, come to hospital and give his last interview. Then he dies. Why, you don't know.

The judiciary in autocratic Azerbaijan condemns cousin to 13 years in prison, footballer Hüseynow to four years in jail. After 14 months, Hüseynow comes free again-without any information of reasons. In March he played football for first time against Germany. Human rights activists suspect that Hüseynow has received support from oligarchs, DFB president now wants to know more precisely. It must be in interests of Azerbaijani government to make clear "why it has come to a shortening ( detention time)", said Grindel.

Date Of Update: 08 October 2017, 12:08