On March 2 nd at 20:00 Azeri time, Elmar Huseinov, the editor-in-chief of Monitor , Azerbaijan 's most popular and most radical journal was assassinated. According to local journalists, "The tragedy, which had been ordered, took place by the entrance of the building when Elmar was going up to his apartment." Experts removed two bullets from the journalist's heart; a third bullet hit his mouth and came out directly. Five minutes before Huseinov approached the entrance, the power had gone off in the building, shutting off the telephone in his apartment as well. After his death, it was discovered that editor-in-chief's mobile phone was also turned off.

Huseinov's colleagues say that he and his family had received numerous threats, and that "the Azeri authorities responded by saying Huseinov was seeking publicity, that most likely they were the ramblings of someone who was mentally ill."

According to Azerbaijani sources, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan had kidnapped a correspondent for Monitor, " Akper Hasanov, twenty days prior to the assassination. The next day, the head of the press department of the ministry, Ramiz Melikov, described what he referred to as a "letter of regret" from Akper Hasanov, in which the correspondent allegedly said that he had insolently slandered and insulted the Azeri armed forces, and that insults had been initiated by Elmar Huseinov.

The Azerbaijani public is in shock. "Journalists have been beaten up, but not killed," wrote one lawyer. They connect Huseinov's killing to the Azerbaijani authorities. "Heidar Aliev knew the rules of the game, but Ilham is weak, and is known for his tendency to look the other way. Because Elmar always criticized him heavily, Ilham Aliev might have just told his associates to shut him up," explained one of our sources.

A well-known lawyer in Azerbaijan who preferred to remain anonymous suggested an interesting hypothesis for the assassination of the Monitor editor. From February 11 th to 20 th Einula Fatulaev of Monitor visited the Aghdam region and the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh . When he returned to Azerbaijan he discussed her impressions. According to the lawyer, Fatulaev is a very provocative person who cannot be trusted, "I always told Elmar to be careful of him. He has made some provocative statements since his return, so that he not only creates an anti-Armenian mood in Azerbaijan but also a negative attitude towards Elmar Huseinov and Monitor. I wouldn't be surprised if the authorities put all the blame on the Karabakh Liberation Organization, as if the editor-in-chief had been assassinated in a fit of public rage."