Human rights activists held hearings on torture in places of detention

Baku / 07.02.19 / Turan: The number of facts of torture of political prisoners, the provision of moral and psychological pressure on them has increased in recent years in places of detention in Azerbaijan. This thought was a refrain sounded on February 7 at public hearings organized at the headquarters of the Musavat party by the Center for the Protection of Political Prisoners and the Coordination Center for the Family of Convicts.

Human rights activists, civil society activists, family members of political prisoners and other convicts took part in the discussions.

"In recent days, the number of facts of torture has increased in places of detention. The authorities not only arrest their opponents, but also take revenge on them, torturing them in places of detention. In the Gobustan prison, the leader of the Movement sentenced to 20 years in prison is subjected to unprecedented physical, moral and psychological reprisals. "Muslim unity" TalehBagirzade, Abbas Hussein, JabbarJabbarov. It went so far that, still retaining restraint, despite repeated arrests, TalehBagirzade, in protest against torture, caused himself serious injuries. Abbas Huseyn was so beaten that his clothes were torn to shreds. Behind all this is the head of the Gobustan prison,"said OktayGyulalyev, coordinator of the Center for the Protection of Political Prisoners.

According to him, activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) AgilMaharramli, BabekHasanov, RuslanNasirli, the former head of the Gadabey region, Saleh Rustamov, his nephew Vidadi Rustamli were subjected to merciless torture in the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of Ministry of Interior.

"The court stated that there are special rooms for torture in this department. Special devices of torture were used against them. These rooms resemble torture laboratories," said Gyulalyev.

He expressed conviction that the torturers of political prisoners and customers of this lawlessness will sooner or later be punished.

A member of the coordinating center of the National Council of Democratic Forces, RovshanAhmedli, applies the most sophisticated torture against those arrested - cauterizing the body, pulling out the nails, crucifixion, and running a current through the body.

"Torture was before. But now they are becoming fierce. Society must express an adequate response," said the human rights activist.

The wife of TalehBagirzade, Leyla Ismailzade, reported torture on her husband and his associates in the Gobustan prison.

The wife of Aga Sarkhani, who was killed during a special operation by security officials in connection with the Ganja events on July 25, 2018, Sevinj Sarkhani said that until now her husband"s body had not been given to the family.

At the hearing, spoke and relatives of servicemen accused of treason.

"My son was in the military service for only a week. He was accused of treason and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During the investigation, my son was tortured so that the wounds still do not heal," said the father of one of the convicted soldiers, Nariman Babayev.

The official bodies of Azerbaijan refute the presence of political prisoners in the country and the use of torture in places of detention.-03B06--