Azerbaijan: former political prisoner complains of breaking his rights

The Neftchalinsk police would not allow Ragim Gaziev, ex-minister of defence of Azerbaijan and former political prisoner, to visit the district and run his business there. The police also exert pressure on the local residents hired by the ex-minister for agricultural works. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent learnt about it from Gaziev himself at the press conference in Baku on October 7.

Mr Gaziev said that he bought two old tractors, aiming to repair them and grant into lease to local residents. However, on August 18, Arzuman Melikov, a resident of Abbasally village, who was repairing the tractors, was summoned to the district police division, where he was interrogated on "why Ragim Gaziev comes to the district and whether he brings arms and ammunition with him."

On the following day Gaziev himself came to the Neftchalinsk police division and asked about the reasons of pressure on the local resident. "However, the deputy head of the division expressed no claims, having noted that the police just got convinced that Gaziev's aim was in economic activities," he said.

However, three hours later policemen came for Melikov again and took him to the division. Head of the district police Rza Gadzhiev (former commander of the operative-reaction regiment of the Baku police, an active participant in dispersing opposition rallies in the first half of the 2000s, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent) demanded from Melikov that "Gaziev should take his tractors, leave the district and never appear there again."

Otherwise, Melikov was threatened that they would plant drugs on him and then arrest him. Gaziev was not admitted to the division this time. The police also demanded from two tractor operators not to work on Gaziev's tractors.

According to the ex-minister, having returned to Baku, he submitted a written complaint to President Ilham Aliev, telephoned to assistants of the head of the President's administration, head of the MIA and his deputies: he wanted to know the reason of breaching his rights.

Only on August 28 Gaziev was received by Arif Rzaev, head of the department of internal investigations of the MIA, who promised to hold investigation. On September 18, Rzaev notified the applicant that local residents had not confirmed the fact of pressure on them by Neftchalinsk police to force them to refuse from cooperation with Gaziev.

The ex-minister saw in these investigation conclusions a search of grounds for his further arrest for slander.

He said that he would fight till the end and already sent another letter to President, and, in case of no result, plans to go to court.

"I'm not working for 16 years, including 4 years after release from prison. They give me no work. I get the minimal pension of 75 manats (90 US dollars). Therefore, I decided to start a small business. I should somehow support my family," said Ragim Gaziev.

No comments could be received from the Neftchalinsk district police. The on duty officer there refused to talk on the topic or to connect the correspondent with his bosses.

The press service of the MIA said that the department of internal investigations had held an investigation, and Gaziev's complaint was not confirmed.