Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice ignores messages about tortures and extortions in colony

Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy, has reported that the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan gives no reaction whatsoever to numerous appeals of inmates' relatives about offences committed at the Corrective-Labour Colony (CLC) No. 1.

Yadulla Musaev, brother of political prisoner Gadir Musaev who is kept in this colony, asserts that deaths of inmates of CLC No. 1 have become more frequent. Three convicts have died there under obscure circumstances during the recent months.

According to Yadulla Musaev, his brother Gadir tried to fight against the physical pressure exerted by the CLC's administration by means of a hunger strike that he announced on January 12. However, today in the morning Gadir Musaev had to stop his protest action.

Now, as Yadulla Musaev asserts his brother trembles for his life.

On December 14, 2007, Yadulla Musaev sent a cable to the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan with a request to hold an investigation of the events at the CLC. No answer ever arrived from the Ministry, but the pressure on Gadir Musaev has become tougher.

On January 8, 2008, Yadulla Musaev sent another cable to the Ministry. In this second message Yadulla Musaev who is highly concerned with his brother's life, directly indicated at Khalledin Asadov, head of the operative unit of the CLC No. 1, who is permanently extorting money from the inmates.

The Institute for Peace and Democracy reports that both cables to the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan remained unanswered.