The victims of the "Terter case" demand the appearance in court of the highest military ranks

Baku/05.04.23/Turan: At the trial of the accused of torturing servicemen in the "Terter case", the testimony of the victims began.The accused are: former commander of the military unit, Colonel Vusal Aleskerov, former Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Niftaliev, former intelligence officer Ramil Garayev and sergeant supernumerary Rustam Aleskerov.

They were charged under  the Articles 145.3 (unlawful imprisonment resulting in death), 293.2 (torture by an official of a state body), 341.2.1 (abuse of official powers by a group of persons or abuse of official powers) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Rustam Aleskerov is also charged under articles 125 (incitement to suicide) and 126.3 (Intentional infliction of serious injury to health resulting in death) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to the indictment, the commander of the military unit, Vusal Aleskerov, "in order to increase his authority before the higher command," used a group of officers "to expose military personnel working for the enemy." To this end, they used numerous tortures against innocent soldiers.

The victim, Rajab Teymurov, said that after being detained, he was immediately taken to the commander of the corps, Hikmet Hasanov, and four people grabbed him and hit him on the floor.

"We were tortured all day. They threatened even when they were given bread. The lawyer of the corps, Fuad Agayev, hit me in the face so hard that I had a concussion. I was beaten in front of Hikmet Hasanov, who personally insulted me," Teymurov said.

At the trial, the testimony of Zulfiya Kazymova, the wife of the commander of the department Suleiman Kazimov, who was tortured to death, was also announced. She demanded that the higher-ranking commanders be held accountable.

"I demand the involvement of Hikmet Hasanov and others who gave criminal orders. Why has Hikmet Hasanov never been summoned to the investigation?",  said Kazymova.

She learned about her husband's death on May 9, 2017. At first she was told that her husband had become a martyr, then they said that he had died in an accident. "Among those who delivered my husband's body was Babek Samidli (deputy commander of the corps). He wanted to force me to sign under a blank sheet of paper," Kazymova said.

Nizami Guliyev, the father of another lieutenant Tamkin Guliyev who died from torture, said that the family was informed that the officer died of pneumonia. After the investigation was updated and at the insistence of the father, an exhumation was carried out and traces of torture were found on the carts," Guliyev said.

Valida Ahmedova, the mother of Elchin Guliyev, who was killed during the investigation, addressing the defendants, said: "We know that you were subject to orders, but we must tell the truth. The heads of the Military Prosecutor's Office are also at the head of these crimes. The death of the military began after May 3, when a criminal case was initiated. Therefore, the military prosecutor Khanlar Veliyev, Shafahat Imranov and others must answer. In addition to the perpetrators, Teymur Mammadov and Hikmet Hasanov are also guilty of the death of my son.

In turn, the accused Rustam Aleskerov stated that, being an over-term employee, he was engaged in the protection of a military unit and was not involved in torture and murder. "All the murders were pinned on me. Although I have nothing to do with it. Teymur Mammadov (the then deputy commander of the corps) should be sitting in my place," the accused said.

The victim Zamin Yusifov stated that he was personally insulted by General Hikmet Hasanov and he gave instructions to torture him. "I swore that I was not a traitor, but he ordered to force me to confess. I was beaten, doused with water and let the current flow through my body. I don't have a healthy spot left on me. This happened many times and I lost consciousness. Another soldier, Mehman Huseynov, was beaten even when he was already in agony," Yusifov said.

The victim Vagif Abdullayev said that after being beaten, he was thrown under the feet of the accused Vusal Aleskerov. "The military was tortured in several rooms at the same time. Isabala Mammadov was forced to eat his shoulder straps. Hikmet Hasanov said that anyone who does not confess to betrayal will be sent to a minefield," Abdullayev said.

Hikmet Hasanov gave the order to put him in a cage. "He said that if necessary, he would throw me into the Karabakh canal, and witnesses would confirm that I shot myself as a traitor," Abdullayev said.

He demanded that Hasanov and other high-ranking officials be brought to justice. "The Minister of Defense, Khanlar Veliyev, Hikmet Hasanov should come here.

The trial continues.

*After the April 2016 battles in Azerbaijan, the military began to be massively involved in the investigation, which was called the "Terter case". Then the Prosecutor General's Office, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in a joint statement motivated the arrests by the involvement of suspects in espionage in favor of Armenia.

The public learned about the mass torture of detainees carried out in May-June 2017 only in 2019. According to human rights activists, more than 100 soldiers and officers were tortured, 25 were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, at least nine people died from torture.

After numerous protests by the relatives of the victims and the demands of human rights activists, the authorities were forced to resume the investigation. In December 2022, 19 convicts in the "Terter case" were released. 10 of them were acquitted, the rest of the cases were dismissed without an acquittal.

There are still several people in prisons in the "Terter case" who have committed themselves under torture. There may be several hundred victims of torture in total.

Several people, including one general, were arrested and imprisoned for these crimes. However, the top leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Military Prosecutor's Office were not involved.---06B---