Baku: Elshad Babaev's relatives demand to investigate his death as murder

The death of a prisoner Elshad Babaev in Baku colony is investigated under the article of abuse of office; however, Babaev's relatives insist on the investigation under the murder article.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Elshad Babaev, who was serving his term on charges of drug use, died on December 22, 2014, in Colony No. 14 near Baku. His sister asserts that he died as a result of torture. According to unofficial information, after Babaev's death there was inmates' riot in the colony against heavy custody conditions.

On January 29, Simuzar Babaeva, a sister of the deceased, met Rustam Usubov, the First Deputy Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, who told her that upon the death of her brother an investigation was initiated under the article of "abuse of power" of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

Babaeva has noted that she would "seek for the punishment of the perpetrators of her brother's murder."

Earlier, the version of Babaev's torture was denied by Yashar Isakov, an assistant for contacts with media to the Head of the Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan.

Let us note here that according to the report of the Azerbaijani Committee against Torture, presented in October 2013, in 2012, at least five people died in the country from torture.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.