All the defendants in the "Terter case" should be released – human rights activists

Baku/08.12.23/Turan: The innocence of the 10 servicemen still in prison convicted in the "Terrorist case" is beyond doubt, it was noted at today's press conference at the office of the Center for Investigations against Torture. Rasul Jafarov, the head of the Baku Human Rights Club, said that these individuals were arrested on charges of treason. Like other defendants in this case, she was subjected to physical and moral torture. "There is no evidence at all in the cases of some of them," Jafarov said.

So, in the case of Latif Latifov from the Beylagan corps, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, among other things, there is also a charge of murdering a colleague. However, a colleague was killed by a shot from the Armenian side and he has the status of a martyr. Latifov's brother said that on December 4, he began a hunger strike in Gobustan prison, demanding his release.

Ismail Huseynov, who served in intelligence, was suspected of "working for Armenians" in 2016. However, the investigation by the Military Prosecutor's Office did not confirm the suspicions and the case was closed. But a year later, the case was reopened and on the basis of false testimony extracted under torture, Huseynov was convicted.

Zamig Alimanov's father said that his son was arrested on the 21st day of his military service. "My son graduated from the Nakhichevan College and on the 21st day of his service he was arrested on charges of treason.  When did he manage to "commit treason"? Or they trained "state traitors" in the school," Zahid Alimanov said.

The head of the Center for Investigations against Torture, Fikret Jafarli, said that the criminal cases of all the defendants in the "Terter case" were written under carbon copy, which gives reason to believe that there was no objective investigation. "About 50 people have already been acquitted, but not a single investigator who falsified cases has been punished," Jafarov said.

The "Center for Investigations against Torture" is being contacted by the military, who have been convicted of "treason" since 2006. "They say that they were also tortured, forced to incriminate themselves and others," the human rights activist noted.

Human rights activists called on law enforcement agencies to review the cases of all 10 persons. "For the period of the new investigation, these people should be released from custody. The legislation allows for this. They can pardon presidents, there are other mechanisms," Jafarov said.

The parents and relatives of the convicts through the media appealed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to intervene and ensure the release of the innocent. These 10 people were sentenced to terms ranging from 11 years to life imprisonment.

In one group, Gasimov Elshan Gasimoglu, Latifov Latif Ziyad oglu, Heydarov Dashgyn Musa oglu, Alimanov Zamiq Zahid oglu, Javadov Ruslan Miragali oglu were convicted. In another group, Abbasguliyev Javad Vahid oglu and Amrahov Zia Rafig oglu were convicted. Aliyev Alim Akif oglu, Huseynov Ismail Intigam oglu and Oktayly Oktay Araz oglu were convicted separately.

At the press conference, demands were also made to punish all high-ranking military personnel involved in torture.

According to human rights activists, the name of the former corps commander Hikmet Hasanov appears most in the testimony of the victims. –06B-