The involved in the “Abzas Media” case continue to face unjust restrictions in pretrial detention
The involved in the “Abzas Media” case continue to face unjust restrictions in pretrial detention
According to a report from “Abzas Media” on Facebook, journalist Elnara Gasimova, who is being held in Baku’s Pretrial Detention Facility No. 1, has also been subjected to new restrictions.
Elnara's mother, Natavan Gasimova, stated that following the parliamentary elections, Elnara has been banned from “in-person” meetings with her family. “Previously, we could bring a pen and paper to take notes during visits. But after “Abzas Media” director Ulvi Hasanly exposed the torture of a female inmate in the detention facility, in-person visits for journalists with their families were prohibited, and communication is now only allowed through glass,” noted Gasimova. Moreover, visits through the glass partition are conducted under strict supervision by guards.
“During the visit on October 12, a guard stood over us the entire time. When I protested, the guards said it was their orders. I asked why we couldn’t bring a pen and paper; they told me that paper was allowed, but not a pen, as per instructions,” Gasimova recounted. Earlier, family members of other detainees in the same case, Ulvi Hasanly and Sevinc Vagifgizi, reported a similar ban on “in-person meetings.”
The editorial team at “Abzas Media” believes that as COP29 approaches, the detained journalists from their organization are facing increased difficulties.
Elnara Gasimova is one of six journalists arrested between November 2023 and January 2024 in connection with the “Abzas Media” case. An economist, Farid Mehralizade, was subsequently arrested in this matter.
Initially, all were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of individuals by prior agreement). However, between August 16-19, the charges were escalated to include Article 192.3.2 (illegal entrepreneurship with significant income); Articles 193-1.3.1 and 193-1.3.2 (money laundering by an organized group); Article 206.4 (smuggling by an organized group); Articles 320.1 and 320.2 (document forgery and use of forged documents); and Article 213.2.1 (group tax evasion) of the Criminal Code.
These charges carry a potential prison sentence of up to 12 years. The journalists deny all accusations.
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- Politics
- 17 October 2024 14:34
Politics
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On October 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have eliminated three militants in the Gaza Strip, one of whom may be Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian movement “Hamas.” “At this stage, the identities of the terrorists have not been confirmed. No signs of hostages were found in the building where the terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF press service stated.
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The health of Famil Khalilov, a first-group disabled activist who has been on hunger strike for 65 days, has worsened in detention. His wife, Kichikhanim Khalilova, reported to Turan after visiting him on October 17 in the medical unit of the detention facility. "Famil's body is no longer accepting water. Today he tried to drink several times, but he vomited each time. He is experiencing severe abdominal pain, and his legs are cramping," Khalilova noted. According to her, medical staff have shown no interest in Khalilov's health this week. Attempts to obtain comments from the Penitentiary Service were unsuccessful.
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Sunná Evarsdóttir, the General Rapporteur of PACE on political prisoners, has expressed concern regarding the deteriorating health of Anar Mammadli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Training Center, who is imprisoned in Azerbaijan. "I am troubled by reports of Anar Mammadli's worsening health and the lack of adequate medical treatment provided to him. As the General Rapporteur on political prisoners, I urge the Azerbaijani authorities to grant him immediate access to necessary medical care and to review the charges against him," she stated on the “X” platform.
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Public activist Nijat Ibrahim, after being detained, inflicted bodily injuries on himself due to attempts to force him to incriminate himself. Turan informed her friend Parvin Ibrahim about this. According to her, on September 9, her husband was detained by the police, and a criminal case was opened against him under Article 126.1 (intentional infliction of serious damage to health) of the Criminal Code. "The Nasimi district police put physical pressure on him to admit the charge. In protest, he took a stationery knife from the table and cut his throat to commit suicide. He was taken to the hospital, where his husband received 17 stitches.
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