Azerbaijani Ombudsperson calls MIA head to investigate facts of pressure on arrested oppositionists

Employees of the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson's office have confirmed information that certain persons in civilian clothes were abusing the oppositionists sentenced to administrative arrest for participation in the protest action in Baku on July 31.

Today, Vugar Magerramov, a group head of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) against torture at the Ombudsperson's office, paid a visit, together with other members of the office, the administrative detainees at the custody facility of the Chief Police Department of the city of Baku.

As reported in the statement of the press service of the Ombudsperson's office, which arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, during the five-hour-long visit they met 10 activists of the opposition, arrested for 7-10 day for participation in Saturday's protest action in the Fountains Square.

The detainees said that they were not exposed to any pressure, while in custody; at the same time, they noted that "Baku policemen dressed in civilian clothes were insulting them." In protest, the detainees went on hunger strike, not rejecting water and cigarettes only.

After the talk of the members of the group with hunger-strikers, some of them stopped their action, the statement further runs. At the same time, the administration of the custody facility was instructed to keep monitoring the detainees' state of health.

Aiming to clear up the matter, Elmira Suleimanova, the Ombudsperson, addressed the head of the MIA Ramil Usubov. This is also stated in the message of the Ombudsperson's office.

In his turn, Ekhsan Zakhidov, head of the press service of the local MIA, has rejected insulting of the detainees by any persons in civilian clothes. He asserts that the opposition "invents such stories to draw attention to them."

Deputy Panakh Gusein believes it inadmissible to render pressure on administrative inmates.

In the opinion of Fuad Gakhramanly, deputy chair of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), insults of arrested persons pursue the aim to intimidate them and prevent their future participation in protest actions.