The death of Azeri sports journalist Rasmin Aliyev, after being assaulted by Gabala football club’s fans following his comments against the club’s star player Javid Huseynov, is causing a furore on social networks among the Gabala club fans. Gabala faces Greek club Panathinaikos in their next Europa League bout, and the fans are urging people to fill the stadium with Turkish flags in the return match to be held in Azerbaijan on August 27.

Azerbaijan and Turkey have close historical and cultural ties, and consider the Turkish nation as a protective ‘big brother’.

Javid Huseynov holding Turkish flag at Limassol Stadium in Cyprus

Gabala had knocked out Cypriot football club Apollon Limassol in a Europa League qualifying round, and star player Huseynov had reportedly provoked Greek-Cypriot journalists and the fans of Limassol by waving a Turkish flag in the Cypriot stadium.

His action was criticised in a Facebook post by journalist Rasmin Alyiev, who was subsequently lured to a meeting by someone claiming to be Huseynov’s cousin, where he was brutally assaulted by a group of men. The reporter ended up in hospital and died of internal bleeding after some days.

Azerbaijani authorities have ordered an investigation into the journalist’s death, while Huseynov’s club have decided to suspend him from the team until the matter is clarified. Turan News Agency reports a cousin of Huseynov has been detained for questioning. Azerbaijan has one of the worst records in freedom press according to Freedom House. It is rated 162 among 180 countries.