Authorities of Azerbaijan Responsible for Blogger M. Galandarov's Death - IPD (UPDATED)

Baku / 29.04.17 / Turan: Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD) issued a statement on the death of the blogger Mehman Galandarov on April 28 in the Kurdakhani jail.

As recalled in the statement of the IMD, Galandarov was arrested on charges of illicit drug trafficking on February 7 - the same day when he put on his Facebook page words of support for the "prisoner of conscience" Giyas Bayramov, urging citizens of the republic "not to be slaves ...".

Arrests for criticizing power in Facebook began to acquire a systematic character in Azerbaijan. Most often, dissenters, bloggers are accused of "drug storage and drug trafficking." They also did the same with Mehman Galandarov. On the same day, February 7, the Nasimi District Court ruled that he had been arrested for a period of 3 months to conduct the investigation.

IPD accuses the Azerbaijani authorities of the blogger's death.

"As a person who spent more than 16 months in the cell of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kurdakhany, I testify that it is not possible to hang himself in these cells without assistance," said the IPD Director, Leila Yunus.

In her opinion, the idea of ​​Galandarov's death as a suicide, "testifies to the fears of criminals in power to get on the list of persons against whom the US will apply sanctions, according to the Law of Global Magnitsky adopted in December 2016."

"We call on international human rights organizations, the Human Rights Committee of the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to urge the Azerbaijani authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the death of the" prisoner of conscience" Mehman Galandarov. The cooperation of the European Union with the dictatorial regime, which regularly suppresses the rights and freedoms, kills and tortures dissidents, pushes the development of Azerbaijan along the Syrian way," the IPD statement says.

It should be noted that Galandarov's relatives refused to communicate with journalists and called on the journalists to leave them alone, saying that the blogger "does not deserve a funeral feast." Local activists do not exclude there was pressure on the relatives. 

The blogger did not have a family. The body was handed over to his sister's family. -06D--

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2017 April 29 (Saturday) 18:28:19

Activist and Blogger Mehman Galandarov Hanged Himself in Kurdakhani Detention Center (UPDATED)

Mehman Galandarov to Be Buried in Zabrat Tomorrow 

Baku / 29.04.17 / Turan: Mehman Galandarov's body was already given to his relatives in the morning. An autopsy and examination was carried out. Tomorrow Mehman will be buried in the cemetery in the village of Zabrat. "The refutation of the Penitentiary Service means that Mehman did not commit suicide, but was killed," the journalist Afghan Mukhtarli told Turan.

"The news of the death of Mehman Galandarov is very unexpected and sad and to be honest, we do not have any facts confirming that it was a suicide. Therefore, it is now difficult to talk about this," the human rights activist Oktay Gulaliyev told Turan. "I recently talked with Mehman's relatives and they do not believe in the suicide version, because according to them, he was a principled and resolute person. In addition, he was a psychologist, a man engaged in political activity that consciously coordinated all his actions. We recognized him as a political prisoner, but his defense was weak. Namely, the version of suicide does not seem reliable. Why would he commit suicide? Why bring it to this? I consider Mehman Galandarov another victim of the regime for his active work, for demanding the release of Giyas and Bayram. According to the information available to me, the Prosecutor's Office of the Sabunchu district initiated a criminal investigation into Galandarov's death, his body is in the morgue, where it will be handed over to his relatives for burial. He has few relatives, only a sister," Gulaliyev said. -0--

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2017 April 29 (Saturday) 13:14:42

Activist and Blogger Mehman Galandarov Hanged Himself in Kurdakhani Detention Center

Baku / 04/29/17 / Turan: Mehman Galandarov, a blogger, committed suicide in the Kurdakhani jail yesterday. He hanged himself on a sheet in his cell. Turan was informed by human rights activists.

It was not possible to receive comments from the Penitentiary Service and the Sabunchu prosecutor's office.

With regard to Galandarov, a preventive measure was adopted in the form of arrest for a period of three months on February 7, 2017. He was charged under Article 234.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan

On the day of the arrest, Galandarov wrote on his Facebook page: “We will all be like Giyas. Do not be slaves” (meaning Giyas Ibrahimov who wrote this slogan on the monument to Heydar Aliyev, after which he was sentenced to 10 years). After that, he held a rally at the monument to Heydar Aliyev and was detained there. The Nasimi district court arrested Galandarov for 3 months for the period of investigation.

Mehman Huseyn Oglu Galandarov was born in Baku on May 23, 1977. He graduated from the Academy of Public Administration in the specialty of psychology. More than 10 years he taught Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science at college.

He participated in anti-government rallies in Baku and Tbilisi and he was one of the organizers of the action at the embassy of Azerbaijan in Tbilisi on September 26, 2016 under the slogan “We do not want a king!”

He emotionally criticized the authorities in social networks and drew cartoons on the leadership of the country, publishing them on his Facebook page.

The Penitentiary Service, however, denies the fact of suicide. -06D---