Institute of Peace and Democracy monitors trial against opposition leaders

We call your attention to a press release of the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD):

The Human Rights Protection Department of the Institute of Peace and Democracy is concerned with the fate of the witnesses of the trial on the court consideration of events dated October 15-16 2003.

During several months the court process over Arif Hajili and Ibrahim Ibrahimli, deputies of "Musavat" party leader, Rauf Arufoglu, editor-in-chief of "Yeni Musavat" newspaper, Panah Huseyn, leader of Azerbaijan Peoples Party, Sardar Jalaloglu, head secretary of Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Igbal Aghazadeh, leader of "Umid" party, and Etimad Asadov, chairman of Union of Invalids of Qarabagh War continues in the Court on Heinous Crimes.

The Human Rights Protection Department of the IPD carries out the monitoring of that court process, which is distinguished by the constant rude violation of the legality. Besides policemen no any otherwitness of the prosecution pointed out the guiltiness of the accused.

The most dramatic thing in the court process is the testimonies of numerous witnesses about the application of tortures in their respect during the investigation process. While appearing in the court NO ONE of those witnesses confirmed the testimonies that they gave under tortures during investigation. Thus, the accusation conclusion was destroyed in the court.

At the same time, we are very much concerned about the destiny of those witnesses, who suffered the tortures and refused of their evidences. They are still threatened by revenge on the part of the officers of the Public Prosecutor's Office and Ministry of Internal Affairs - the arrest and the following tortures and imprisonment. Thus, in August 2004 thus Talyat Aliyev, secretary of Azerbaijan Democratic Party was already arrested according to the false accusation "pressure on witnesses". He was threatened by the imprisonment period from 2 to 5 years.

Here below we bring to your attention the example of the story of the witness Naxid Mamedov, who was born in 1981, non party member. The story was written from his own words.

Naxid Mamedov was arrested in the evening of October 15th 2003 and during nine days he was placed in Binagadi Police Board of Baku city. He was beaten, was tortured with electro current, and was asked to give the evidence against Rauf Arifoglu, the editor of the newspaper "Yeni Musavat". On October 23 2004 he read on the video camera the evidence necessary for the investigation and written by the investigator and after it he was released. On August 12, 2004 Nahid Mamedov was called to the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Republic, where the investigator Niyazi Jalilov and Qurban Sapharov asked him to evidence against Rauf Arifouglu and other leaders of "Musavat" party and they paid him for those evidences about 20 US dollars.

During the court process that took place on August 13, Nahid Mamedov showed that money and thoroughly told about tortures under which the false evidences were taken from him in October 2003. He also told about the pressure that prosecutor's office made on him. Since then the police made repeated attempts to take him. Being afraid of the cruel revenge of officers of the  Prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Nahid Mamedov  has to hide and not to live at home.

The Human Rights Protection Department of the Institute of Peace and Democracy is deeply concerned with the situation around the witnesses, who refused from their testimonies and declared about the tortures.

Here below we bring to your attention the list of those witnesses:

1. Safarov Shafi Ali oglu
2. Hajiyev Shain Muhammed oglu
3. Mammadov Mushfiq Samed oglu
4. Ziyadov Elchin Ajdar oglu
5. Rustamov Kanan Akper oglu
6. Ahmedov Khaqani
7. Kazimov Taqy Suleyman oglu
8. Qasimov Nahim  Abdurrahim oglu
9. Naziev Nofel Madat oglu
10. Mammadov Nahid
11. Qahramanov Shamsi
12. Hasanli Miralam Khasy oglu
13. Qurbanov Bayramaly Shukur oglu
14. Heydarli Mazahir Makhabbat oglu
15. Bagirov Fakhraddin Kerim oglu
16. Musalimov Telman Murad oglu
17. Khasanov Elnur Shamil oglu
18. Shamkhanov Sohrab