Residents of Nakhichevan state death of their relative from torture at Azerbaijani MNS

Residents of the village of Arazina, Julfa District of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan, have declared death of their relative Turadzh Zeinalov at the regional Ministry of National Security (MNS).

According to locals, on August 24, the 31-year-old Zeinalov was summoned to the MNS of the NAR and never returned.

Malakhat Nasibova, Head of Regional Resource Centre for NGOs and Democracy, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about the application lodged by Isa Zeinalov, Turadzh's brother. In particular, he explained that on August 24 Turadzh was called to the MNS, but was not explained why. On the following day, his relatives arrived at the ministry and demanded to meet him. Then, he was shown to his father and wife with a bag on his head. "He was so badly beaten that he was not able to move independently," said the brother.

Shuriya Zeinalov, the casualty's father has added: "We were told that he was a parricide and worked for Iran. I demanded proofs and stated that my son was unable to do it. He was beaten so badly that he signed a confession; however, my son wasn't broken. That's what they killed him."

The casualty's brother Isa has also noted that the body of Turadzh was secretly taken away by an ambulance on August 28 from the MNS to the morgue of the central hospital.

The MNS gave no explanations to the relatives. According to their story, the whole body of Turadzh Zeinalov was in bruises and extravasations. His head was especially heavily disfigured. No papers and medical findings about the reason of his death were given to the family. All Zeinalovs' appeals and complaints to the authorities remain unanswered, said Nasibova.

Parents are bewildered at what their son's "work for Iran" could be – he worked as a technician at the local airport.

As it turned out, apart from Turadzh Zeinalov, four other residents of Nakhichevan were summoned to the MNS; nothing is known about their fate.

Local human rights defenders express serious concern about the situation and the fate of the other four detained young people.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent failed to get any comments from the power bodies of Azerbaijan and NAR in the context of the death of Turadzh Zeinalov.