Human rights structure condemned arrests of oppositionists and decisions of the Operative Headquarters

Baku / 30.08.20 / Turan: The Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners published a report indicating violations of the rights of activists arrested in connection with the Karabakh action on July 15. The document noted that march in Baku against the attempt of the Armenian Armed Forces to seize the Azerbaijani positions was peaceful. Its participants expressed support for the Azerbaijani army and demanded decisive action from the government to end the Armenian aggression and liberate the occupied territories. During the action, a group of people entered the parliament building with the complete inaction of the security forces. In the following days, mass arrests of opposition activists began, even those who did not participate in the march were arrested.

Criminal charges were brought against 18 members of the Popular Front Party, 2 - the Muslim Unity Movement, 1 - the Movement for Democracy and Prosperity, etc.

The arrested were accused of the «standard" charges of "destruction of property", "resistance to the police", "violation of public order." The "invasion" into the building of parliament looked like a planned provocation by the authorities. The video footage captured the faces of high-ranking security officials in civilian clothes, who were among those who "stormed" the parliament. This provocation was obviously undertaken in order to justify the dispersal of a patriotic action with the subsequent repression of opposition activists. No reliable evidence has been presented against those arrested that the actions imputed to them were committed,” said Elshan Hasanov, head of the Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners.

 Two members of the PFPA Presidium Fuad Gahramanli and Mamed Ibrahim were also charged under the Article 278 (committing actions aimed at violent seizure of power) of the Criminal Code. The authors of the report point to the inconsistency of this accusation. “Violence as a way to seize power or to retain it can result in detention, forced physical isolation, physical humiliation, beatings, and harm to the health of persons representing the authorities. In this case, there are no indicated signs, and, accordingly, corpus delicti,” the document says.

Many detainees were tortured and were not allowed access by the lawyers brought in by their families; and the appointed lawyers actually were on the side of investigators.

The report also criticizes the Cabinet of Ministers' Operative Headquarters, which was created to counter the spread of coronavirus infection. “To date, the Operative Headquarter has appropriated the powers of the legislative and executive bodies. The orders of the headquarters serve as the basis for administrative and criminal prosecution of citizens, which is contrary to the Constitution and laws.

The absence of public figures, representatives of independent media, and civil society activists in the headquarters undermines the confidence of the country's citizens. Practice has shown the fallacy of the strict quarantine regime, which entailed painful consequences for the health of citizens, and especially for the older age categories,” Hasanov further said.

The report also points to the mass detentions of believers in connection with the Ashura mourning day. “Despite the functioning of open-air cafes and restaurants, permission to visit parks, believers were not allowed to hold events even in the courtyards of mosques. Dozens of people were detained, fined, and some were arrested. The headquarters actually established a dictatorship. We, former political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, consider the activities of the Operations Headquarters to be illegal, anti-constitutional, and unlawful. This structure, due to the excess of powers, should be disbanded, and its members should be held accountable. All those arrested in connection with the restrictions imposed by the headquarters should be released,” the report says.

The Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners was created in October 2014 by a group of former political prisoners and “prisoners of conscience” led by Elshan Hasanov. –06B-