Rufat Safarov placed to punishment cell

Rufat Safarov, a former investigator, who is serving his sentence in the penal colony No. 9 in Azerbaijan for bribe-taking, has been placed to a punishment cell for seven days. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in the evening of January 19 by Eldar Sabiroglu, the father of Rufat Safarov.

"When I inquired about the reasons, an on duty warder said that Rufat was punished for violation of internal regulations. He refused to explain what for my son was punished," said Eldar Sabiroglu.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 8, 2016, Rufat Safarov, a former investigator of the Zerdab District Prosecutor's Office, was sentenced to 9 years in prison on charges of a repeated bribe-taking. Safarov himself refused to admit his guilt, stating the political nature of his case. On December 22, 2016, the Shirvan Court of Appeal upheld the verdict. On January 5, Safarov's father Eldar Sabiroglu expressed his concern about his son's cellmate-recidivist at the Baku SIZO-1. According to the father, the son had told him that the recidivist was provoking him into a conflict.

Rufat's father believes that "a difficult situation was created" around his son from the very beginning when he was brought to the penal colony. "We are afraid of a provocation against Rufat. And it happened. My son was placed to a punishment cell," said Eldar Sabiroglu.

He has expressed his concern for health and life of Rufat Safarov and called on international organizations and human rights organizations to pay attention to the situation around his son.

Bakhruz Bairamov, an advocate of Rufat Safarov, believes that his client is under moral and psychological pressure.

"A man was placed to the Rufat's cell... He makes noise, screams and prevents Rufat from sleeping at nights. When Rufat asked ... to remove the cellmate or to place himself to another cell, an officer cursed at him. Rufat filed a complaint to the penal colony administration, and in response he was placed to a punishment cell for seven days," the advocate has told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

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