Businessmen arrested in Nakhchivan tortured

Two Nakhchivan entrepreneurs, Nadir Mammadov and Mammad Gurbanov are tortured in police in Sadarak, told Turan their lawyer Khalid Bagirov.

According to him, on December 24, he met with his client in prison Boyuk Duz. "With my participation the attorney Teymur Veliyev took testimony from Nadir Mammadov. During the meeting it was announced that from 8 to 11 December, my clients were subjected to severe torture. For three days, they were given no water, no bread.

Mahammad Gurbanov was kept naked with his hands tied back on the street. At the same time, his feet were drenched with cold water. Torture is generally performed by employees of the Interior Ministry in the NAR Sadarak police," said the lawyer.

The lawyer saw signs of torture on the body of Nadir Mammadov. "With the participation of the prosecutor Teymur Veliev I examined Nadir Mammadov, who had bruises from beatings. However, the information available at the public prosecutor does not reflect the forensic examination’s conclusion.

I called the facility’s director and pointed to the bruises. He replied that Nadir Mammadov was not beaten in jail.

I realized that the forensic document was fabricated, so I requested re-examination," said the lawyer.

According to him, during his meeting with Nadyr Mammadov, the latter said that he was tortured in the Sadarak police and forced to sign statements against the journalists Ilgar Nasibov and Elman Abbasov. The statement, which was written under duress, said that the defendants acted on the orders of the two journalists.

As the lawyer said, Nadir Mammadov was tortured to knock out evidence against the journalists. Mammadov is very scared and is under constant pressure, the lawyer said.

Recall that Nakhchivan entrepreneurs Nadir Mammadov and Mammad Gurbanov were arrested on Dec. 11 by the Sadarak Court of Nakhchivan for 2 months, pending investigation. The arrest and criminal prosecution under Articles 315.1 and 315.2 (resistance to authority) was caused by the conflict between them and customs officers in the Sadarak village on Dec. 8. As a result, the entrepreneurs were beaten by customs officials.

   The cause of the conflict with the customs was Gurbanov’s refusal to pay a bribe for goods imported from Turkey. After this the product was confiscated, and the entrepreneurs themselves detained. Serious pressure was also exerted on the journalists, whom the entrepreneurs invited to investigate. -04B-