VIDEO: Tensions Remain High in Azerbaijan's Gadabay Region as 3 Journalists Attacked

Tensions continue to escalate in Azerbaijan's Gadabay region. It was noted that a conflict had occurred between local residents and the police the day before. Police reportedly beat elderly residents who were protesting the construction of an artificial lake in the village. A video circulating on the internet captured the sound of gunfire.

Despite the tightly controlled information environment in the country, some new details have begun to emerge. One Azerbaijani journalist posted on social media, reporting that three journalists were attacked in the Gadabay region. Police have also restricted access to the village of Soyudlu in Gadabay.

The situation for activists is equally dire. One has been arrested, another sentenced, and a third has been conscripted. A fourth activist is currently in police custody. The journalist expressed disbelief that such conditions could exist in their country.

Orkhan Mursalov, the head of the Goygol district in Azerbaijan, stated that anyone claiming police are beating civilians is a traitor. Local media also reports that members of an observation group informed the commission president, Mukhtar Babaev, that the lake's bottom is covered with a membrane, preventing harmful substances from contacting the soil. Cyanide flowing into the lake is neutralized by peroxide.