16 June 2011, 17:00
American journalist and British rights defender beaten in Baku
In the evening on June 15, unidentified assailants attacked the American journalist Amanda Erickson and British human rights activist Silja Davis.
The young ladies were almost at home, when several young men of athletic body-build attacked them and began beating without explanations. Earlier the women felt that they were shadowed by the young men.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by local human rights activists that the women received bodily injuries.
The Embassies of the USA and UK confirmed the information about the attack on Erickson and Davis; however, refrained from comments, saying that they were studying the circumstances of the incident.
Ms Erickson is in Azerbaijan under invitation of the US Embassy in order to implement projects aimed to promote journalism. She held various training sessions for journalists. Ms Davis was engaged in voluntary activities, providing training for local human rights organizations and participated in other projects of the civil society.
The women's friends note that they have suffered stress and are not psychologically ready to make any public statement about the incident. According to them, Silja Davis has an arm fracture; she has her injured arm coated with plaster of Paris.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
