In 2013 in Azerbaijan at least five people died from torture

Baku/24.12.13/Turan : In 2013 the Azerbaijani Committee against Torture received 115 complaints of torture , ill  and inhuman treatment. In  six cases, the complaints  were about the  violence against women, said at the  press conference on December 24 the head of the human rights group structure, Elchin Behubdov, and five cases of deaths were  recorded. All these facts  occurred in the military units of the National Army. Behbudov  called the names of the dead soldiers with signs of violence on their bodies - Elvin Niftizade, Ceyhun Gubadov, Seymour Allahverdiev , Telman Aliyev, and Orkhan Mirzazade.

In addition, a fact  of man death  in the police department was recorded. However, the fact of violent death was not confirmed.  The talk is about  Jamil Babayev , who tried to flee from  the  Lenkoran police  by jumping from the second floor. According to  Behbudov, he has repeatedly been convicted for drugs and taking advantage of the situation when occasionally  he was left alone in a room jumped from the second floor and a few days later died from his injuries. Behbudov reported that in 2012,  there were 141 appeals about torture , including  nine deaths.

According Behbudova complaints are mostly  about inhuman treatment in military units, penitentiaries , police departments , by employees of the Ministry of Transportation and Safety  of SOCAR. 

Transportation Inspector used violence against drivers, and SOCAR representatives against tenants  of the houses that allegedly  were illegally built on territories  of SOCAR.

At the same time the Ministry of Transport and SOCAR ignore appeals of the Committee against Torture.  All public authorities  say that the investigation facts were not confirmed.

According to Behubdov,  with the exception  of the Justice Penitentiary Service  all other sub monitoring structures - Ministry of Internal Affairs , Ministry of National Security , Ministry of Education, Specialized Internet , Drug dispensary and psychiatric institutions of Ministry of Health cooperated with the Committee against Torture. In these institutions members can enter without prior notice.

However, according to Behbudov, most complaints about the poor conditions of detention , torture and inhuman treatment comes precisely at the prisons .

The complainants  are placed for the appeals to the  punishment cells, and lately their relatives  asked not to  note  in the reports the names  of people exposed to pressure in the colonies and jail the Prison Service.

Behbudov also noted the need for repairs in Drug Dependency Clinic , psychiatric institutions in the regions , special boarding schools , enhance protection of these agencies to improve heating in winter.

Behbudov also said that he appealed to President Ilham Aliyev in connection with the  cases of  the newspaper "Bizim Yol" ,Parviz Hashimli, and head  of the EMDS,  Anar Mammadov.

Human rights activist asks the President to facilitate the release of these individuals.

Behbudov  conveyed the  request of Hashimli  about  "pardon."

Hashimli says he  does not find himself guilty, and there is not a verdict yet against him.

However, according to Behbudov, journalist during a visit to his December 18 personally asked  the human rights activist to  convey his request to the president "on pardon", and  Behbudov only expressed in his message to the  president Hashimli’s wish.

Regarding Mammadov ,  EMDS did not ask for appeal to the president .

Behbudov  appealed to the president at  his own initiative, and asked him to assist in the  release of Mammadov , and in particular , to assign a fine agunst him, and not a prison sentence.

Asking about the allegations of torture  against Hashimli , then, according to Behbudov,  on December 18, in jail of the MNS , despite his repeated offers to tell who tortured  him,  he said that  he told about it in the court, and does not want to talk about it more.

According to  Behbudov, on December 17 Hashimli  was allowed to speak on the  phone to his  family, and a meeting with his wife.

Asking the question  on the legitimate operation of individual prison MNS, Bekhbudov said that although international organizations insist on closing of the detention center,  secret services  in many countries have their insulators.

Moreover, according to Behbudov , conditions of detention in jail MNB , food quality, medical care  are better than in other centers.

According to Behbudov, Committee says only those facts which  it is aware of.

According to  Behbudov, in reality tortures may be  more, because the  victims and their families are afraid to complain.

Behbudov also said that the report will be sent to the World Organization of Torture , the Committee against Torture, and the  OSCE Council of Europe headquarters.—06C--