Vidadi Rustamli spoke about special torture over him

Baku/26.01.19/ Turan: Trial in the so-called case of "On illegal financing" of the PPFA isongoing in the Baku Serious Crimes Court. Three activists appeared before the court: party member Presidium Agyl Maharramli, head of the Narimanov district department Babek Hasanov, youth committee activist Ruslan Nasirli, as well as businessperson Saleh Rustamov and his nephew Vidadi Rustamli.

On May 26, 2018, the country's Prosecutor General"s Office announced their arrest on charges of "illegal financing" of the PPFA. The arrested were accused of illegal business, money laundering, criminally obtained, etc.PPFA denied unlawful funding. All those arrested were recognized by human rights activists as political prisoners.

On January 25, the trial, chaired by Eldar Ismayilov, heard the testimony of the accused Vidadi Rustamli. He is the nephew of another person involved in the case of Saleh Rustamov, the former head of the Gedabey region of Azerbaijan in 1992-93, who has been residing in the Russian Federation since 1998 and has received citizenship of this country. V. Rustamli said that the money sent by his uncle from Russia, he handed to members of the Popular Front Party to help the families of political prisoners.However, the amount of money he received was not as much as was noted in the indictment, said V. Rustamli."The money was sent monthly or bimonthly. The sums amounted to 300-500-1000 dollars,"V.Rustamli said.

The accused said that after the arrest of S. Rustamov on May 8, he felt himself being spied on. On May 10, he was detained and brought to the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (MDCOC) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.In the courtyard of this department,plants were planted in his pocket. V. Rustamli said that he had given the testimonies ondrugs and the transfer of money under torture.

"As soon as they brought me to the office, I asked for a lawyer, butin response theycursed me. I was handcuffed and taken to the toilet. There they began to hit my kidneys and genitals with a rubber truncheon. They told me: "Your uncle is also here, and if you don"t want us to do the same with him, you will do what we say." Therefore, I gave confession about drugs. The next day, they began to ask me about the money sent by my uncle. I told the truth, but they were not satisfied. Seven or eight people beat me so badly, that I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I asked for a water. They brought water, but they did not give me a drink, but they poured it on my head ...," said V.Rustamli.In addition to beatings, V.Rustamli was tortured with electric current through the body.

"I was forced to sign the refusal froma lawyer with whom my family entered into an agreement. When the representatives of the Red Cross visited me an officer of the MDCOC by name Chingiz ordered me not to complain about torture. However,the representatives of the Red Crescent sawthesigns of violence on my face. An employee of the prosecutor's office to which my relatives complainedalso saw the traces of torture , but did not record it, saying that it was "trifle", said V. Rustamli.According toRustamli, the total amount sent to him by his uncle for transferring the PFPA activists did not exceed 6,000 dollars, and not 700,000 manats ($412,000 dollars), as the investigation claims. The trial will continue on January 29.The trial was observed by a representative of the Russian Embassy with an interpreter.

TalleyRustamov, brother of Saleh Rustamov, said that over the period after his arrest, the Russian citizenonly nowbecome interested in his fate. This is the answer of the Russian Embassy to the request of Turan:"With respect to all citizens of Russia who need consular assistance in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the embassy provides support, including in the case of Citizen Saleh Rustamov." The accused gave their testimonies at the trial. All of them claimed that they had given testimonies under torture or the threat of torture.The testimonies of other witnesses are expected. -06D--