In Azerbaijan, religious activist complains about torture at police station

Law enforcers tortured Khikmet Agaev, an arrested activist of the movement "Muslim Unity", claimed Arzu Abdullah, a member of the Public Committee for the Protection of Rights of Arrested Islamists. Human rights defenders treat the activist's arrest as politically motivated.

On April 10, Khikmet Agaev was detained when he was transporting food aid packages for low-income families, Arzu Abdullah told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"At his own expense, he was preparing food aid packages for the poor ... A lot of people lost their jobs because of social isolation, and Khikmet decided to support them. On April 10, in Baku, he was stopped by the police when he was transporting food aid packages for the poor. Khikmet Agaev admitted that he did not have any SMS permit, because distribution of charitable help was not an occasion to apply for SMS permit. He began to explain to the policemen that he was transporting food aid packages to help those in need. However, the policemen were inexorable," said the human rights defender.

"On the other day, Khikmet Agaev was found guilty of violating the quarantine regime and disobedience to the police and arrested for 25 days ... The law enforcers broke his finger and injured his ear. They were inquiring about his reasons for helping the poor and about who was financing him," says Arzu Abdullah.

The human rights defender claims that the law enforcers threatened with using physical force against family members of Khikmet Agaev.

Earlier, in Azerbaijan, the Public Committee against Repression and Torture has registered 17 people arrested during the quarantine regime.