Institute for Peace and Democracy demands to punish the policemen who beat journalists in Azerbaijan

The Institute for Peace and Democracy has moved a demand to punish the policemen who thrashed on June 14th in the capital of Azerbaijan the journalists and human rights activist who celebrated the 80th birthday of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto (Che) Guevara.

On that day the members of the Che Guevara supporters' club were commemorating their idol in the "Alaturka" caf? in the centre of Baku. Suddenly, about 30 persons in civilian clothes entered the room, asked to stop the action and detained all those present, including journalists.

The statement of the Institute for Peace and Democracy runs that the detainees did not break the public order and provoked no complaints. However, the policemen, without presenting their certificates of the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and without explaining the reason of detention, were beating, and violently took away 22 persons, who had no identification cards on them, to the 22nd police station of the Nasiminskiy District of Baku. Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, was among the detainees.

At the police station, the physical and psychological violence on the arrested persons continued. As a result of tortures, Mr Guseinov began to lose his consciousness; however, despite numerous requests of other detainees, police would not call up an ambulance. Emin Guseinov was hospitalized and is still in the resuscitation ward.

The policemen's actions are exactly under the Articles "Using tortures to knockout evidences" and "Excess of service powers entailing grave consequences" of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, the Institute for Peace and Democracy has stated demanding to punish the policemen.