The National Council of Democratic Forces Condemns Violence Against Prisoners

"The National Council of Democratic Forces is deeply concerned by the news about the tortures against the political prisoners in Gobustan Prison and in the General Department on Organized Crimes of the Ministry of Interior, notoriously known as "Bandotdel".

Nardaran prisoners case :

The chairman of the Muslim Union Movement Mr. Taleh Baghirzade and two other members of the organization Mr. Abbas Huseyn and Mr. Jabbar Jabbarli are being systematic ally subjected to cruel, physical and psychological tortures in Gobustan Prison.

The political prisoners themselves managed to inform the public about medieval tortures via their relatives . Mr. Taleh Baghirzade is handcuffed in the prison without any reasonable ground, deprived of access to fresh air and right of taking a shower, prevented from meeting with his relatives and advocate.

Moreover, as an additional psychological pressure against Mr. Bagirzade, an inmate with the physiological disorders (previously this man attempted to put fire on other cellmates) was put to his cell. Mr. Taleh Baghirzade believes that there is attempt to infect him with incurable disease. Mr. Abbas Huseyn was triples handcuffed, his legs were shackled, mouth and eyes were closed with sticky bandage while we was tortured. His neck was wrung as a result of which he hardly could drink water for several days. Mr. Jabbar Jabbarli was harshly beaten. His jaw and chest was seriously injured.

Nardaran prisoners said that the Chief of the Gobustan Prison Mr. Aftandil Aliyev is directly involved in execution of tortures. Another place of cruel tortures is "Bandotdel" which is most notorious place in the country where.Tortures are carried out in the most terrible way.

Saleh Rustamli, former head of Gadabay Local Executive Power, his cousin Vidadi Rustamli and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party functionaries - Babak Hasanov, Agil Maharramov and Ruslan Nasirli were subjected to relentless tortures in Bandotdel. During their trial in Baku Court of Serious Crimes, in their testimony they informed the judge and the prosecutor about the torture facts in Bandotdel. During preliminary investigation they were coerced by brutal torture including electroshock to testify against PFPA chairman Mr. Ali Karimli. It became apparently clear from their testimonies that there are specific rooms designed to torture Detainees in Bandotdel.

The main intention of subjecting them to torture was to get false testimony in order to "prove" bogus "unlawful financing" charges against PFPA and its leader Mr. Ali Karimli . They were subjected to torture by the order of prosecutor Sanan Pashayev. No single state body was concerned about these torture facts used against both Nardaran prisoners and Saleh Rustamli and those arrested with him. On the contrary, Penitentiary Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs refuted the facts which were described in very detail.

National Council of Democratic Forces strongly protests against such a practices and thinks that the entire responsibility for tortures lay not only upon the law enforcement agencies but also theauthoritarian government as a whole.

National Council considers that such unlawful treatments was sanctioned directly by the Head of the State considering that the facts and allegations of torture was voiced by the prisoners numerous times, in particular those recognized as political prisoner. Otherwise the news on torture would have been sufficient to trigger him to take action against torture users and punish them.

Given that the danger still exists to the life of Nardaran prisoners in Gobustan prison, National Council calls on relevant authorities to urgently take the situation under control, demands expelling the chief of Gobustan Prison Mr. Aftandil Hajiyev from the position and start immediately the investigation on the facts.

National Council demands that the prosecutor Mr. Sanan Pashayev as well as those who gave such unlawful orders to be brought to justice and be held accountable for such crimes. The National Council calls on the public to raise their voices on the torture facts, to condemn responsible authorities, defend these innocent people more strongly.

The public has to force the head of the state to punish those who are responsible for torture and take action to stop tortures as a pressure method. The National Council also calls upon the international community to raise their concerns about this anti-human treatment that is used within the law enforcement agencies and detention facilities.

The National Council requests the International human right organizations, democratic states to demand the Azerbaijani government to punish perpetrators and call the Government of Azerbaijan to put an end to the torture practices."