Members of Muslim Unity of Wild Torture in Police

The Court of Grave Crimes continues the trial on the Nardaran case. Testimony is received from the defendants - members of the movement Muslim Unity.

On Thursday, five people said as their leader Taleh Bagirzadeh that they gave a confession under torture and threats of reprisals against their family members.

The accused Rasim Jabrailov confirmed that one of the two killed policemen was fatally shot in front of him.

"On that day during the daytime prayer I was in the yard. Then, unexpectedly, the house was surrounded by several dozen people in black masks. Some of them broke in with guns and started shooting. When I was handcuffed and dragged to the car, the shooting wounded a policeman. Another one standing next to him shouted, "You've done it, you killed him!"

We were thrown into a furniture van, where they began to beat us with rifle butts. It was there that our friend Farahim died from the beatings. Besides him in the car there already were several bloodied prisoners unconscious."

The next testimony was given by Zakir Mustafayev, who told how he was interrogated, fastened with handcuffs to a chair. “I was threatened that I must confess that Taleh gave us weapons and prepared a coup. Otherwise, they threatened to bring my family to the police. I was forced to sign these statements.

After that, they asked me to participate in the filming of the operational activity, where I allegedly pointed a place where weapons were hidden, including a machine gun and a grenade.

The next member of the movement Aghil Ismayilov said he was one of the first who was arrested by masked police officers. He was beaten in the furniture transportation car, where prisoners were loaded. "I was beaten with a rifle butt and my head was broken. Taleh was already unconscious, and Farahim gave no signs of life.

When I was examined by the doctor, a police officer told him to cut off my nose," said the defendant.

The next member of the movement Ramin Yariyev showed that his friend Akbar had his arms and legs broken by the police. He, like Farahim, died from beatings in the car, where our comrade Raphael was already killed.

The last defendant Ali Nuriyev said the police knocked out his tooth and smashed his face, and later he was put four seams so that he could speak with his broken lips.

All the accused refused of their confession, accusing the investigation of the torture. They rejected any accusations of possessing weapons and preparing to seize power, noting that they always fought and argued for peaceful, civilized methods of struggle. The trial continues.

Commenting on the statements of the accused, the head of the National Council of Democratic Forces Jamil Hasanli called the police methods and powers "appalling."

"Such brutality was not even observed under Stalin's regime. Listening to the speeches of the accused, it seemed that this happened not in 1937, but in the Middle Age.

This is a crime against humanity, for which the power should answer," he said.

* Recall that in the course of a special operation in Nardaran on November 26, 2015 six people were killed in the crossfire, including two policemen. Total in this case about 70 people are involved, mostly members and supporters of the movement Muslim Unity. They are accused of a number of articles of the Criminal Code: attempt to forcibly change the constitutional system, the creation of an organized armed criminal group and others.

The PFPA deputy chairman Fuad Gahramanli is accused of anti-state calls, inciting religious hatred and calling for riots. -02D-