NCDF discusses the situation with political prisoners and torture

The problem of political prisoners and acts of torture in places of detention in Azerbaijan has become the subject of public hearings organized on May 14 in the media center IRFS   by the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF.)  Nowadays in the world totalitarian regimes fail one after another, and this wave has swept up the former Soviet Union. However,  Ilham Aliyev’s regime  makes the wrong conclusions from the fate of Gaddafi , Mubarak , Yanukovych, Assad, and instead of  reforms  it applies arrests and tortures, that was the main leitmotif of hearings.

The hearing was attended by members the  NCDF, human rights activists , representatives of international organizations and several embassies of Western countries.

According to the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD),  currently the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reaches 138.

"Every year eight -10 people die from torture   in the places of  detention. A vivid example  is the  death of  Novruzali Mamedov (head of the Talysh Cultural Center and editor of the newspaper  "Tolyshi Sado"; he died in prison from a serious illness in 2009," said the director of IPD, Leyla Yunus , adding that  shortly after the death  of  N.Mammadov  died his two sons (one got in an accident under mysterious circumstances , and  the other died of heart attack after being threatened.)

Director of the IMD  and her husband were subjected to torture and inhuman treatment. "We were detained without trial at the airport. Illegal searches were conducted in our apartment, office. My husband  Arif Yunus  was hospitalized as a result of torture," said Yunus. Particular attention was paid to the arrest of  journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and tortured over PFPA activist, Kamala Bananyarly.

"Today begins Azerbaijan's chairmanship  in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Azerbaijan has not fulfilled obligations to the Council of Europe, and especially in the field of human rights, release of political prisoners , the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment," said Yunus.

The head of the NCDF, Jamil Hasanli, drew attention to the fact that half of the political prisoners  have been arrested on charges of drug trafficking.

In his view , the order for politically motivated arrests comes from Ilham Aliyev, and  therdfore the police arrest people without question, ignoring the laws.

" Political prisoners have not violated any laws, they  have been arrested without a legal basis. Thety are socio-political activists , human rights defenders , journalists, bloggers and believers. And now  emerged a new kind of political prisoners, young people active in the social network facebook. One of them,   young blogger Elsever Mursalli, living in rural areas, who marked a sign “Like” for the  opposition candidate in the presidential election, was  imprisoned to five years,"  Hasanli said. The statements noted that the Azerbaijani authorities are  against the European integration.

"Almost all political prisoners are supporters of European integration. None of the pro-Russian opposition members has been arrested," said a board member of the  REAL Movement, Azer Gasymly.

PFPA leader Ali Kerimli noted that after the crisis in Ukraine repression in Azerbaijan even more intensified.

In the view of Kerimli, authorities believe that because of the growth of Europe's energy resources, the West will turn a blind eye to the repression and torture. "We need to send a message that government repression will not succeed. Despite the arrests, we will strengthen our struggle," said Kerimli. Discussions also emphasized that the repression  is directed not against individuals, but against the whole society. Target of repression are those who are fighting against corruption and bribery.

"Any person in the country can be subjected to reprisals: believer or non -believer,   party member or non-party member.  In a word, all who wants to live with dignity have problems," said the head of the Center for Protection of Freedom of Conscience and Religion (DEVAM), Ilgar Ibragimoglu. -03C06-