Political Prisoners Monitoring Center and Talysh Public Council Condemn Police Violence against Citizens

Baku / 09.06.20 / Turan: Azerbaijani NGOs condemned the brutal police violence against citizens on June 8 when detaining residents of a house in the Yasamal district.

A statement by the Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners (CMPP) condemns the use of disproportionate force by the Ministry of Internal Affairs Rapid Response Regiment employees, beating the detainees and degrading treatment of them. CMPP regards these actions as a “crime against citizens”.

“In accordance with the law on police, police officers have no right to strike on the head, especially to a person who does not show resistance,” said the head of CMPP Elshan Hasanov.

“We, former political prisoners categorically protest against the arbitrariness of the police and the use of criminal violence. We demand respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Constitution of Azerbaijan. Responsibility for these illegal actions rests with the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the statement said.

“The use of a harsh curfew regime on June 6-7, accompanied by police violence, bothers us, like thousands of other Azerbaijani citizens,” the Talysh Public Council of Azerbaijan said in a statement.

The use of violence and torture by law enforcement officers, the barbaric invasion of apartments, the continuous sounding of “preventive” warnings, etc. from the loudspeakers of police patrol cars, etc. is not only a violation of legal norms, but also a violation of citizens' peace and freedoms, and arousing fear in society.

The fight against the pandemic has already complicated the physical, moral, psychological, social and economic situation of the population, and such actions further increase citizens' distrust of the state and security forces.

The Talysh Public Council of Azerbaijan strongly condemns illegal actions against citizens and demands the punishment of those responsible. —06D-