Azerbaijan Does Not Deal with Fate of Its Citizens Arrested in Kullar

Baku /30.06.20 / Turan: Azerbaijani authorities must remove obstacles to the return of their citizens from other countries, including hundreds of people from the camp in the Dagestan village of Kullar. It is also necessary to provide all legal protection to persons arrested on criminal charges after the protests in this place on June 15. This was the leitmotif of the June 28 videoconference with the participation of civil society activists organized by the Institute of Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

During the meeting, it was noted that those arrested were in trouble due to the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities delaying the return of these people to their homeland. Therefore, the state is obliged to protect them, and the consular services of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation are obliged to provide legal assistance to these people.

Arrestees in Dagestan are charged under article 318 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violence against a government official, as well as article 167 (intentional destruction of another's property). They face up to 10 years in prison.

 According to the IRFS director, Emin Huseynov, in Russia and Dagestan, human rights activists and lawyers responded and are ready to help the arrested. So, a Derbent lawyer, a native of Azerbaijan Murad Velikhanov, confirmed his readiness to take up the protection of the rights of those arrested. However, this requires signing agreements with them. “It is desirable that the agreement was concluded by close relatives. In this case, we can immediately get down to business. If the agreements are signed with other persons, then it is still necessary to obtain the consent of the arrested themselves,” Velikhanov said.

“If there is political will and public resonance, then the question of ending the criminal prosecution can be resolved before the trial, or in extreme cases, conditional punishment can be achieved. In general, these people had no intention of committing crimes. These are travelers who were not allowed to go home, which led to a nervous breakdown,” Velikhanov said.

During the meeting, it was pointed out that the government of Azerbaijan initially withdrew from solving the problems of these citizens of Azerbaijan.

Assistance began to come from entrepreneurs - Suleiman Karimov, God Nisanov, other representatives of the business community and the Diaspora.

The Azerbaijani side only after the events of June 15, when the police used hard power against the protesters, sent representatives of law enforcement agencies there who did not fundamentally decide anything.

Participants in the discussions noted that the camp on the Dagestan border should be liquidated, and all arrivals should be placed on the Azerbaijani side.

In addition, a new website should be created where everyone can register to return to their homeland, regardless of the host country and the state is obliged to help these people.

It was pointed out that the creation of obstacles for the return of Azerbaijani citizens to their homeland is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, article 3 of which states that "No one may be deprived of the right to enter the territory of the state of which he is a citizen."   –06D-