25 July 2019, 23:50
Baku activist refuses to go to police without being officially summoned
Bairam Mamedov, an activist of the movement "Nida", was called and invited to come to the Baku Police Chief Department in connection with his complaint of torture during his arrest. Human rights defender Ogtai Gyulyalyev notes that the case on torture should be investigated by the Prosecutor's Office.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 30, Bairam Mamedov was detained in Baku and arrested for 30 days on the charge of failure to obey to the police. After his release from prison, the activist was denied the opportunity to continue his studies at the Baku Slavic University.
In October 2016, Bairam Mamedov and Giyas Ibragimov were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on the charge of drug trafficking. The activists believe the verdict was the retaliation for graffiti on the pedestal of the monument to Heydar Aliev, the former president of Azerbaijan. On March 16, 2019, Bairam Mamedov and Giyas Ibragimov were pardoned.
Bairam Mamedov doubts that the police were investigating his complaint, since according to the law, the Prosecutor's Office should investigate the case on torture.
The activist refused to go to the police upon an oral call. He also noted that he had felt himself being watched during recent weeks.
A citizen is not obliged to appear in the law enforcement bodies upon an oral notification, noted Ogtai Gyulyalyev, the head of the Committee against Repression and Torture.
The complaint of torture can be used as a pretext to invite the activist to come to the police, and in such a case, Bairam Mamedov faces a risk of being subjected to pressure again in connection with his public activities and posts on social networks, Ogtai Gyulyalyev suggests.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 25, 2019 at 02:16 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent
