| Mr. Tagi was no stranger to persecution on account of his writing. His 2006 article, critical of political Islam, prompted an Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani, to issue a fatwa against Mr. Tagi, calling for his death. Ayatollah Lankarani has since published a statement welcoming the demise of Mr. Tagi, referring to it as a just sentence. In fact, the attack on Mr. Tagi is an outrage and an affront to every person who respects human life and human rights. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says, journalists through their work help to advance human dignity, liberty and prosperity: "By exposing abuses of power, challenging assumptions, and providing constructive outlets for new ideas and for dissent, journalists safeguard our freedoms. When a free media is in jeopardy, all other human rights are threatened." We welcome the Azerbaijani government's formation of a special working group to investigate the attack on Rafiq Tagi. It is imperative that the investigation into his death bring those responsible to account. Justice and respect for the life of a brave journalist demand no less. |
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