The phenomenon of citizen Galandarov

Mehman Galandarov became widely known to Azerbaijanis after a cruel and mysterious death in Kurdakhany detention center. He actively lived, held protests, published caricatures of the leaders of Azerbaijan in the social network, conducted his political blog, but even his arrest did not add fame to the blogger.

Mehman Galandarov fought for democracy alone, individually, unknown. The press did not report about him, after his death on the Internet there were no interviews with him or articles about him. Only four photos in Google, which became known only after April 28, when the Azerbaijani and world press spoke about him for the first time: a blogger in Baku hanged himself.

Galandarov died, living alone in a rented apartment. His parents died, and the only sister has been in conflict with her brother who spoke out against the government. He had a daughter, whom he sent out a message that that he loved her very much. Galandarov was born on May 23, 1977 in Baku. He graduated from the Academy of Public Administration in the specialty of psychology. For more than 10 years, he taught philosophy, sociology, and political science in college.

He was accused of all possible drug offenses - sales, production, sale, consumption ... But the police detained him while trying to hold a protest at the monument to Heydar Aliyev in February this year. Mehman alone went to the monument demanding the release of Giyas Ibrahimov - arrested for graffiti on the pedestal of the national leader's monument "Congratulations on the holiday of slaves!" And "Down with the system!"

Prior to this individual action on 26, 2016 September Galandarov participated in a demonstration at the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia, calling for a fight against neo-monarchy in his homeland.

Why was not the press interested, and the people did not know about such a convinced democrat? The sense of shame persecutes the Azerbaijani oppositionists. The name of M.Galandarov was listed in the list of Azerbaijani political prisoners, but the leading opposition parties did not deal with his defense. "I do not know what to write about Mehman Galandarov. His death is a crime of power, but the democratic camp left Mehman without help and protection. A shameful case. Forgive us, Mehman, wrote Yadigar Sadigov.

Deputy Chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Gezal Bayramli admits that Galandarov's arrest did not cause public resonance. "Unfortunately, as well as the mysterious death of Mehman, his arrest was not of interest to many, the topic was banned," Bayramly wrote in facebook.

It seems that only the chairman of the forgotten National Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, whose activist was Mehman Galandarov knew about Galandarov's stay in prison. In the jail of the prisoner of the prisoner, Galandar Mukhtarly, the chairman of this party, visited him and gave him food. "This morning I had to meet Mehman in the jail. I got a phone call and reported his death, "Mukhtarly told Voice of America.

The National Democratic Party of Azerbaijan was established by Iskender Hamidov in 1991 in Azerbaijan as a branch of the Turkish party "Gray Wolves. In 1995, the PDPA stopped public activities.

The death of Mehman Galandarov was just as mysterious. Initially, the prison administration officially stated that Galandarov was alive, although the sister of the deceased knew about his brother's death. The first to learn about the death of the blogger was human rights activist Oktay Gulaliyev, who later found his grave and launched an active work to spread information about the incident. Then two days later they were forced to report from the jail that Galandarov had hanged himself in a double cell No. 56 from a pillowcase. In the cell with him was another prisoner. A cell-mate was asleep when, in the afternoon at 13-30, Mehman committed suicide, this is the official version announced by the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Justice.

"As a person who spent more than 16 months in the pre-trial detention center No.1 in Kurdahany, I testify that it is not possible to hang himself in these cells without outside help," Turan quotes the words of the political emigrant Leila Yunus.

Azerbaijani democrats do not believe in Mehman's suicide. "This is not suicide," Gyulaliyev said. Mehman Galandarov was a psychologist and adequately assessed the situation. He many times participated in protests. It is possible that he died as a result of torture. When arrested, the police threatened him that he would not leave the prison alive. And here is the result. According to the information we have, the tragedy occurred at a time when Mehman's cellmate was in a bathroom. It seems that then he committed suicide by hanging himself on a loop from the sheet. "

"The funeral of Mehman Galandarov was held secretly," human rights activist Taleh Hasmammadov told Turan. "This gives reason to doubt that he committed suicide. If he committed suicide, the responsible persons could calmly prove this - take photographs, take testimony from Mehman's cellmate and present them to the public. However, this was not done. I do not know if an expert was conducted.

However, this was not done. I do not know if an examination was conducted, but in any case it cannot be called suicide," T. Khasmamedov said.

The General Prosecutor's Office files a lawsuit in connection with the death of the accused Galandarov - under Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (bringing suicide.) Of course, the choice of this particular article does not mean that the prosecutor's office will come to a conclusion about forcing the blogger to commit suicide. Photos of the body, on which the public could judge the cause of death, are not represented in the press. Galandarov was buried urgently and secretly, without committing a religious rite. The body of the deceased was inspected only by the husband of the deceased's sister and chairman of the party Galandar Mukhtarly, who announced the trace of a rope around his neck and traces of injuries on the body of the deceased. What kind of injuries, who are inflicted - is unclear. The body also had stitches left by the autopsy performed in the morgue.

However, in a joint statement of the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Justice does not say on traumatic footprints on body. The statement clearly indicates only the strangulation stitch remaining on the neck of the deceased from strangulation by rope. The same statement stresses that no physical measures of influence, torture, pressure, unlawful actions were applied against the accused Galandarov, and the jail employees were punished for negligent treatment of the duties that led to suicide. The application several times indirectly pursued the idea of ​​suicide, a criminal case was instituted on charges of bringing to suicide (under Article 125 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan). Another strange statement is the statement that during the conducted investigation the belonging of the deceased to the political party was not revealed.

However, the same statement contains an indirect evidence of the incredible pressure exerted by investigators on Mehman. The document says that the defendant admitted all the charges brought against him. Such a strong man as Mehman Galandarov could subscribe the recognition on allegedly committed drug crimes only as a result of the most severe physical and moral torture that led him to suicide.

The hard life and tragic death of Mehman Galandarov will remain a stain on the conscience of the Azerbaijani authorities and society. The power planted an absolutely innocent man in prison only because he openly and solely expressed his opposition to what is happening. And this authority was obliged to ensure his safety in the remand prison. "You will not get out of here alive," that's exactly what the policemen told the innocent Galandarov, since the trial has not yet proved his guilt.

And society is to blame for forgetting a citizen who was not a member of a well-known party or public organization that did not rush to meetings at the rally with a desire to speak and did not invite journalists to interview him. Mehman Galandarov simply and calmly, courageously and competently expressed his civil position ...