03 December 2003, 17:22
Statement by Institute of Peace and Democracy
More than a month has passed since the falsified presidential election of October 15 in Azerbaijan were held, but the republic still lives in the atmosphere of repressions, arrests goes on. Yesterday head of the Azerbaijan Center for Protection of Religious Freedom (DEVAMM) Ilgar Ibragimoglu was arrested.
The Federation of Human Rights Organization of Azerbaijan keeps on making up and specifying the lists of the arrested. Today 78 names are in the Federation's lists. The Azerbaijan Interior Ministry refers to the figure of 96 but does not give the names.
All the arrested are brought to trial by two articles (or by one of them) of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code, namely, organization of mass riots and participation in mass riots. The all are committed to prison for three months while the investigation is being conducted (the term of imprisonment can be extended). All the arrested are kept in Bailovsky Investigatory Isolation Ward 1. Not all of them have lawyers.
According to lawyers' information, investigative actions in respect of the arrested are not taken. They all were interrogated only 1-3 times just after their arrest. Some of the arrested were subjected to torture (the facts of torture against Sardar Jalaloglu, Ibragim Ibragimli and Igbal Agazade are established).
The Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan demands that:
- all the people arrested in connection with the events of October 15 and 16 be released;
- repressions be stopped;
- the international commission be established to inquire into the falsification of the October 15 presidential election.
Author: Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy Source: Institute of Peace and Democracy (Azerbaijan)
