Human Rights Defenders: Torture Must Be Stopped and Freedom of Assembly Must Be Ensured

Baku / 08.11.19 / Turan: A group of civil society representatives in Azerbaijan called on the UN Committee against Torture and the Council of Europe Committee against Torture and Inhuman Treatment to respond to politically motivated cases of torture in the country.

“We strongly condemn arrests, cruel torture and other forms of inhuman treatment of people who exercise freedom of assembly, and we regret that the relevant structures of the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe, of which Azerbaijan is a member, do not respond to these cases. We hope that the intervention of these organizations will allow the release of people who are currently in custody for participating in rallies, and that police officers who committed cruel and inhuman treatment of political activists and journalists will be held accountable,” the message says. .

The authors of the appeal note the increased pressure over the past month from various state institutions, including law enforcement agencies, on citizens expressing their political views in the form of peaceful protests.

In this case, in particular, attention is focused on cases of violence and administrative arrests against participants in the rallies organized by the National Council of Democratic Forces and women's activists on October 19 and 20. So, in connection with the rally on October 19, 31 people were subjected to administrative arrests, and two more were prosecuted.

Declaring that there is a crisis in Azerbaijan with the protection of human rights and freedoms, the authors consider it necessary that international organizations intervene to stop ruthless actions against political activists, including torture, as well as ensure freedom of assembly.

The authors consider it necessary to implement the following measures:

- Direction by the UN Committee against Torture and the Council of Europe Committee against Torture and Inhuman Treatment of a joint fact-finding mission to Azerbaijan;

- Ensuring transparent control over places of forced detention and access of local human rights defenders and international organizations to pre-trial detention facilities, as well as institutions for serving sentences;

- Investigation and punishment of persons involved in torture, according to activists.

Copies of the appeal were also sent to the President, the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, the UN Human Rights Council, PACE, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE / ODIHR and the European Parliament.

The appeal was signed by 21 people, including human rights defenders, activists, bloggers and journalists: Arzu Abdullayeva, Anar Mammadli, Rasul Jafarov, Akif Gurbanli, Bashir Suleymanli, Intigam Aliyev, Mehman Aliyev, Yalcin Imanov, Rovshan Hajibeyli, Khalid Agaliyev, Khadija Ismayilova, Mehman Huseynov Gubad Ibadoglu, et al.

Note that the Azerbaijani authorities deny the practice of torture by law enforcement agencies. — 06D--