National Council condemns torture against PFPA activist Alizamin Salayev

The National Council of Democratic Forces issued a statement condemning the use of torture by the police against PFPA Alizamin (Zamin) Salaev.

The National Council reiterates that the violation of law by the officials in the country, the transformation of law enforcement agencies into the tools of repression and punishment, is directly attributed to President Ilham Aliyev himself. The police and other government agencies by relying on the principles of Ilham Aliyev's rule, and in some cases, on the basis of his order, commit crimes and other anti-human acts. The National Council notes that what happened to Alizamin Salayev is another example of administrative terrorism against the citizen, the next state crime. The National Council requires immediate punishment for the perpetrators.

 The National Council calls on the public of the country not to remain silent on Alizamin's abductors, to force the authorities to abandon torture policies with mass protests and demands and, in this case, to punish those who tortured him. The National Council also calls on the democratic world and international organizations with mutual commitments with Azerbaijan to take effective measures to stop the repression and torture of Ilham Aliyev's government, including imposing sanctions against officials who have been involved in torture and repression.

Alizamin (Zamin) Salayev, an activist of the Salyan branch of the Popular Front Party, was severely tortured in the Sabail District Police Department and in the 8th branch of the same police department. He wrote in detail in his letter that he could now publicize how and under what circumstances he was brutally beaten.

 It is known that A. Salayev was detained on January 13, while having lunch with his friends in the Sabail district of Baku and was later sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention by the decision of Sabail District Court, after taken to 8th branch of the Sabail District Police Department and was beaten there. By the participation of the chief the police agents wanted to humiliate him. When they were not satisfied, they knocked down him with his hands handcuffed and kicked on the ground. Then he was taken to the Sabail District Police Department where he was also subjected to more severe torture. He was first called and beaten by the chief of the department, then the chief ordered to take him to the basement and humiliate there. The police officers subjected Alizamin to humiliation and horrible torture as ordered in the basement of the department. As a result of the torture, he suffered numerous injuries, and the most dangerous is that a hernia occured in his abdominal cavity. Alizamin's condition was too bad  that the police had to take him to the hospital. Doctors said that he had a herniation in the abdomen and needed urgent surgical operation. However, the police did not allow him to be surgically operated but only first medical aid. Alizamin was then placed in an Administrative Detention Facility (Binagadi Detention Center) in such bad health conditions.

Alizamin Salayev angered the police because he defended public interest. After he informed the public about the actions of the captain Hamza Azizov, the head of the investigation department of the Salyan Police Department, the police began to put pressure on him. The captain Azizov introduced himself as a relative of Vilayat Eyvazov, the Minister of Internal Affairs and threatened him by punishment using his links to the minister if he didn’t stop his actions.

On January 13, 2020, Alizamin Salayev came to Baku to inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the illegal actions and threats of Captain Azizov and was arrested here, as previously described. There was no meeting with family members for several days after Alizamin was placed in detention. The reason for this is probably his obvious manifestation of torture. The National Council regrets that this is not the first case of torture against those detained in police. The Azerbaijani community receives severe torture reports, sometimes even deaths from torture several times a year. Unfortunately, the government has not taken adequate measures against this situation for years, but instead has turned the police into a tool of punishment, especially against the political opposition. This is the result of such severe torture and serious bodily injuries to public and political activists and even political leaders, such as Ali Karimli, Tofig Yagublu, and Ibrahim Ibrahimli, the members of the NC Coordination Center.

The National Council reiterates that the violation of law by the officials in the country, the transformation of law enforcement agencies into the tools of repression and punishment, is directly attributed to President Ilham Aliyev himself. The police and other government agencies by relying on the principles of Ilham Aliyev's rule, and in some cases, on the basis of his order, commit crimes and other anti-human acts. The National Council notes that what happened to Alizamin Salayev is another example of administrative terrorism against the citizen, the next state crime. The National Council requires immediate punishment for the perpetrators.

 The National Council calls on the public of the country not to remain silent on Alizamin's abductors, to force the authorities to abandon torture policies with mass protests and demands and, in this case, to punish those who tortured him. The National Council also calls on the democratic world and international organizations with mutual commitments with Azerbaijan to take effective measures to stop the repression and torture of Ilham Aliyev's government, including imposing sanctions against officials who have been involved in torture and repression.