After human rights defender appealed to Ombudsman, attitude towards Fazil Gasymov in pre-trial detention centre improved

Human rights defender Rufat Safarov appealed to Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva due to bad attitude of SIZO-1 staff towards accused Fazil Gasymov. After that, the situation changed for the better, in particular, Gasymov was allowed to communicate with his brother for more than two hours without the guard's supervision.  Rufat Safarov, head of the human rights organisation ‘Protection Line’, told Turan.

He published his appeal to the Ombudsman on 28 November in the social network, saying that he could not help Gasymov and to affect the management of the detention centre.

‘Legal nihilism is at its apogee. Employees of repressive bodies laugh when they are reminded of law requirements,’ Safarov noted.

He cited the torture and abuse to which Fazil Gasymov was subjected in the isolation centre, calling on the Ombudsman to urgently draw attention to the gross violations of prisoners' rights in the isolation centre.

The Ombudsman did not respond to the appeal of the human rights defender, but the attitude towards Gasymov on the part of the staff immediately improved.

According to Safarov, the Ombudsman responds to appeals by sending her representatives to places of detention. She tries to influence the situation as much as possible in the realities of Azerbaijan, he said.

In its turn, the Penitentiary Service traditionally declares strict observance of all prisoners' rights and medical control over their health.

*Fazil Gasymov was arrested in Istanbul on 8 August 2023 and brought to Azerbaijan. He was accused of making counterfeit money together with Gubad Ibadoglu, a well-known economist and critic of the Azerbaijani government. But now Fazil Gasymov's criminal case is being considered separately from Ibadoglu's criminal case.

While in detention in mid-June, he went on hunger strike protesting against his illegal arrest. Recently, according to those close to him, he has continued to refuse food, but has been taking honey-sweetened water and yoghurt.