Families of Those Arrested for Gence Events Demand to Investigate Facts of Torture

Baku / 04.05.19 / Turan: Human rights activist Oktay Gyulalyev circulated an appeal to the President of Azerbaijan on behalf of 98 families, whose members are accused of the Gence events of July 2018. They report about the horrific torture the police subjected them to.

The message is also addressed to First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, the Prosecutor General, the Minister of Justice, and others.

"You can imagine that your father is chained to a heating radiator and mercilessly beaten. At the same time, his 21-year-old son is stripped, his hands and legs are tied with scotch tape and brutally beaten, electric current is allowed through his body, his heels are set on fire, and his fingers are clamped in a vice. This takes place because they refuse to sign false testimony," the statement says.

The detainees were first taken to the Nizami district police department of Gence, where they were subjected to cruel and degrading treatment. "They were told that they would be killed for the murder of their boss, and then all the police officers trampled on them on the floor," the statement says.

The beatings and torture continued in the Directorate General for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where masked executioners went in to continue torturing the arrested.

"Even after 9 months, traces of violence remain on the bodies of those arrested. So, Urfan Mammadov does not have a thumb. Kamal Guliyev had his eardrum torn. On the hands of Asif Javadov, there were traces of burning with cigarettes, etc.

Because of the unjust arrest of children and inhuman treatment of them, many parents became seriously ill. One mother passed away, and another mother wanted to commit suicide.

The author calls for an investigation of torture by the courts and the prosecution of those who used torture.

* On July 3, 2018, in Gence, an attempt was made on the then head of the city, Elmar Veliyev. A native of Gence, Yunis Safarov wounded him and his bodyguard.

After that, on social networks, a protest rally was scheduled for July 10 in front of the Gence administration against Veliyev.

On July 10, the MIA reported on the unrest in Gence, during which two police officers were killed. Following this, there were mass arrests among believers. 77 people were brought to trial. Another 6 people were killed while providing armed resistance.

On March 1 two groups of defendants were sentenced. A total of 14 people were sentenced to various terms ranging from 5 to 8 years in prison. Trials are ongoing. -06d--