No ICRC doctors allowed to visit Gubad Ibadoglu - brother

Baku/04.09.23/Turan: Staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are not allowed to visit opposition politician and academic economist Gubad Ibadoglu, who is detained in Baku's pre-trial detention centre No 1. This was reported to Turan by the politician's brother Galib Bayramov.

"We appealed to the ICRC for them to visit Gubad and they came to the pre-trial detention centre three times; however, they were not allowed in under various pretexts," Bayramov said. Now the ICRC has appealed directly to the Penitentiary Service.

Meanwhile, ICRC representatives met with Galib Bayramov. They said it was necessary to see his brother and assess his health. They should also receive the results of an ultrasound examination and an echo-cardiogram.

However, the Main Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice refuses to provide answers about results of examinations and analyses.

"My brother is losing his health in the pre-trial detention centre at an accelerated rate, and the Ministry of Justice does not solve the issue of issuing documents on his health," Bayramov said.

*24 July Baku's Narimanov District Court arrested Gubad Ibadoglu for 3 months and 26 days on charges of making counterfeit money. Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry said Ibadoglu is linked to supporters of Fethullah Gulen, accused of a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. On 25 August, he was charged with another charge of "production, storage or distribution of religious extremist materials".

Gubad Ibadoglu rejects the charges, considering them absurd. Many international organisations and officials have called on official Baku to immediately release the politician. -16В-