Activists believe that Galandarov�s death a political assassination

Baku / 01.05.17 / Turan: The Center for the Protection of Political Prisoners held a debate on Monday in connection with the  strange death of  civil activist and blogger Mehman Galandarov in the Kurdakhani jail.

Political and public figures, members of families of political prisoners took part in the event.

The participants raised the issue of political reasons for Galandarov's arrest, the strange circumstances of his death, attempts to hide this fact and the authorities conducting secret funerals.

"It is alleged that Mehman Galandarov committed a suicide. However, attempts to hide information about death, not issuing a body to a family or conducting a secret funeral, give grounds to believe that he was tortured, "said Ogtay Gulaliyev, head of the public alliance" Azerbaijan without Political Prisoners ". Former political prisoners and prisoners are sure that it is impossible to commit suicide in a pre-trial detention center.

"The guard is constantly on duty in the corridor, who periodically looks at the camera in the peephole. There are no objects in the cell so that the prisoner can hang himself or cut himself. Moreover, Galandarov was in a two-place cell, and  it is impossible to be hanged in such conditions, "said former political prisoner Ibrahim Ibrahimli.

The head of the National Social Democratic Party, Jamil Hasanli, the deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party Gezal Bayramli called Galandarov "the victim of democracy.

"Mysterious death means manifestations of a new attitude towards political prisoners - their secret physical elimination. "There are threats to life and another political prisoner - Ilkin Rustamzade. He is threatened by the employees of the State Security Service, trying to make his informant, "Hasanli said, taking part in the event on Skype. "The death of a blogger is a political murder and the ruling regime is responsible for this," Hasanli said.

Speakers drew attention to the fact that Galandarov was arrested for political reasons. He was a participant in the protest action before the Azerbaijani embassy in Tbilisi under the slogan "We do not want a king!" In Baku, he was detained several hours after he had held an action in front of the monument to Heydar Aliyev, protesting against the arrest of Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov, who wrote graffiti on the monument to Aliyev.

Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy Leyla Yunus in her speech via Skype reported that she informed the European Parliament, the UN Committee against Torture and other international organizations about the "political murder". Participants in the speeches offered to declare Galandarov "Shahid (victim) of Democracy", create an Independent Commission to investigate his death, apply to the prosecutor's office, demanding an objective investigation.

It was also proposed to conduct an exhumation of the body with subsequent examination. In addition, it was proposed to conduct an international examination and prepare a report on political murders in Azerbaijan. Along with this, it was decided to apply to the Tezeh Mosque  about the organization of the wake. -03D06--