"The staff of the detention center treated my brother with respect" - Galib Togrul

Gubad Ibadoglu's term of home detention will end on May 20

On April 22, the leader of the political Party of Democracy and Prosperity, economist Gubad Ibadoglu, was released from detention in an isolation cell, where he had been since July 23, 2023. The court's decision changed the preventive measure to house arrest. He returned home, and on May 5, Sumgait police officers put an irreplaceable electronic bracelet on his leg to monitor his movements. Ibadoglu is charged under Articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan: 204.3.1 (manufacture, purchase or sale of counterfeit money or securities committed by an organized group) and 167-3.1 (manufacture, storage or distribution of religious extremist materials).  Politicians and scientists from Western countries, including U.S. senators and congressmen, advocated for the release of the scientist.

Gubad Ibadoglu is not able to answer Turan's questions about the reason for the persecution and the prospect of conviction. According to his brother Galib Togrul, the scientist's heart system needs calmness, otherwise irreparable things may happen. G.Togrul answered questions about Gubad Ibadoglu.

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- Why didn't Gubad Ibadoglu answer Turan's questions?

- After the transfer of Gubad to house arrest, we began to study his health status. Before his imprisonment, he had 3 big problems: diabetes mellitus, sugar levels were consistently high; aneurysm of the aorta of the heart and pain in the spine. According to the diagnosis of London doctors, there was nerve irritation with a degenerative change in the L4 vertebra. During the 9-month imprisonment, the blood sugar level did not decrease at all, it was by 2-3 times higher than normal. The glycohemoglobin index is one and a half times higher than normal.  New diseases have appeared in the detention center: subchondral sclerosis, protrusion and osteophyte. Problems also appeared in other vertebrae.

The expansion of the heart vessel has reached the last, dangerous level of 50-52 mm. This problem, as well as other diseases, were hidden from us during the 9-month isolation and are not listed in the reports to the European Court of Human Rights in Azerbaijan. The disease in the heart is especially disturbing, since this ailment does not give pain and can worsen at any time, to a fatal outcome.

We are currently only concerned with the health of Gubad. Doctors advise him to stay calm, walk 7-8 km daily, do not worry, and do not work. The expansion in the heart cannot go backwards, regress. Only further, deadly expansion is possible.

- In what conditions was Gubad detained?

- At first, he was placed in a cell  with 5 other people. Among the cellmates were thieves and those accused of stabbing. Our lawyers complained about the tightness in the cell, and then the two defendants were removed from there.  Then Gubad served time with the accused of corruption and the young man suspected of the death of a man in a car accident; 3 people in one room. 

The staff of the Baku detention center in Kurdakhany treated Gubad with respect,  they knew about his scientific achievements. But the prohibitions that apply to all such defendants apply to political prisoners. It was forbidden to greet other people not only with handshakes, even verbally.  A separate officer was present at all Gubad's meetings with visitors.

Since mid-August, we have been providing my brother with home-made dietary food and clean water. Food was delivered to him once a week.  Food parcels from home also came to other cellmates, so Gubad took food from the detention center only in the first month, when transfers from outside were prohibited. The quality of government food cannot be equal to homemade dishes. Our goal was to feed him well, in order to somehow compensate for the absence of fresh air and walks.

- Why was the electronic bracelet put on Ibadoglu 10 days after returning home?

- Gubad  has not been released, but his preventive measure has been changed. Investigators say that often, despite the court's decision on house arrest, shackles are not put on the defendant.  We do not know why the electronic bracelet was put on two weeks later. As can be seen, at first they did not want to use shackles, but then, perhaps, there was an instruction to restrict the movements of the defendant.  Currently, Gubad lives in a country house and rarely leaves it - for walks and shopping, and also goes to visit medical clinics.

- How is the investigation going?

- A few days before Gubad's release, the investigator of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Yusif Yusifov, verbally announced the end of the investigation and said that the trials would be completed by May 5th.  It seems that according to the procedure, the indictment documents are submitted to the prosecutor for approval, then sent to court. But we do not have a written document on the completion of the investigation. We are waiting with the lawyers, we do not know how it will all end. Gubad  was transferred to house arrest for one month. On May 20, the deadline will end, the trial should begin and it will become clear there about the beginning of the trial or the continuation of the investigation. We do not have a decision of the investigation in our hands, giving information about the actions of the investigator. There is no reason to think that the investigation is complete. Our goal is the complete rehabilitation of Gubad. 

- What did the witnesses in the case of Gubad show?

- Two witnesses and at the same time the accused Anar Veliyev and the scientist Fazil Gasimov, brought from Turkey, testified against my brother. We believe that the witnesses are giving false information that has no factual confirmation. There is no other evidence in the investigation documents against Gubad; if there were other evidence, lawyers  could have known this.

- What should be expected in the future in the case of Gubad and other defendants arrested in recent months?

- When my brother was arrested, law enforcement agencies might have had some suspicions. I believe that during the investigation these suspicions have lost their foundation, my brother is innocent. He has always defended the interests of the state and the Azerbaijani people here and abroad. Pressure was exerted on him for these beliefs. I am sure that the truth is clear to everyone, so after May 20, Gubad will be declared innocent and absolutely free.

Regarding the other defendants, I will say that the cases of journalists from “ToplumTV,” “Abzas Media,” Nazim Beidemirli, Anar Mammadli and others are not related to each other and to Gubad.  My brother is accused of religious extremism and counterfeiting. The accusations are completely far-fetched.  Representatives of the US State Department and international organizations, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of various countries and independent analysts have always treated such accusations with sarcasm, not believing that a professor at respected universities is accused of making counterfeit money.