AZERBAIJANI CIVIC ACTIVIST’S ACCOUNT OF ARREST AND TORTURE!
BAKU. June 19, 2012: The Azerbaijani media circulated the letter by
Ilham Amiraslanov, the civic activist from Kur Civil Society, which
he wrote from prison. Ilham Amiraslanov was arrested on trumped-up
charges after he voiced the indignation of the local people in
Sabirabad about the government compensations to the flood victims in
the region. In his letter, addressed to the Attorney General’s Office,
Ilham Amiraslanov graphically describes his arrest and torture at
the police station. Below is the full text of his letter:
Petition
to Kamal Gilijov,
The head of the Attorney General’s Office department for internal
review of police investigations
I am informing you that on June 8th, 2012, while on my way home after
buying medicine from a pharmacy located in the city of Sabirabad,
I was detained by operatives of Anti-Organized Crime Department of
the Miistry of Interior near my place of residence in the city of
Sabirabad, Esgerbeyli village.
The agents, along with Sabirabad policemen, threw me on the ground,
handcuffed my hands behind me, put a green bag over my head, and
after picking me up off the ground, placed me in a private car and
drove me to an unknown location. There were agents seating on each
side of me in the backseat of the car. I felt one of the agents,
sitting on the right side of me and referred to as Seid by the others,
place something at the back of my pants in my belt. I felt as if it
may be some kind of a device. At this point, he hit me on the head
several times with his fist and lashed at me with curses.
>From agents’ conversation in the car, I understood that they were
taking me to their chief named Nadir and from their conversation it
was revealed that he was relaxing at a sports complex. I understood
that I was being taken to Sabirabad’s Olympics complex. They took me
to some building after taking me out of the car and after they took off
the bag from my head, I realized that this is one of the Complex’s 2-3
floor buildings. They sat me on a chair and tied my hands behind the
chair. Seid kicked me in the head with his foot and I fell on the floor
together with the chair. He put the bag over my head again and tried
to choke me with the ropes from the bag. He punched me over my mouth,
I started bleeding from my mouth, he punched me under my eye, the
swelling and the bruise under my eye was visible until two days ago.
When they took off the bag from my head after beating me, I saw broad
shouldered, built man going down the stairs from the second floor.
>From the way they were addressing him, I understood that this is
Nadir. Nadir asked me, why is it that you haven’t left your house in
the past 2-3 days? Because of you we have been stuck here. Seid took
out from my belt what he had placed there earlier and put it on the
table. It was then that I saw that this was a gun.
As Seid was taking the gun out from my belt, there was a video
recording taking place with a small camera. The video recording was
being done by one of the agents, whose name I did not learn. When Seid
took out the gun he told me that, this gun has been given to you by
your brother. I told him that, you put this gun on my back while on
the bridge.
After these words, Seid began punching me in the head and in the
stomach with his fist. Seid put the bag over my head and began
threatening me that he will make me sit on a bottle, do all sorts of
things to me (he told me the sort of things he would do to me by their
name, but I am not writing them to you, so as not to be unethical).
With a bag over my head they placed me in an imported gray car
again (with the same car they took me to Baku as well) and brought
me to Sabirabad district police’s deputy chief’s, Rauf Macidov’s,
room. In his room they took off the bag from my head and with my
hands handcuffed sat me in a chair. There was Rauf Macidov, Nadir,
Seid, and four others I did not know.
Seid placed the gun in my belt again and once again they did a video
recording. Seid took out the gun and placed it on the table himself.
Seid asked me, where did you buy the gun, who gave it to you. He
put the gun on my forehead and pulled the trigger. It didn’t shoot,
the gun was empty. I told him that the gun is not mine, you put it
on my back. At this point Nadir slapped me on the head with a force
and I fell on the floor together with the chair.
Then they picked me up, Seid with his hands tried to rip my mouth
apart by pulling my upper and lower chin. I got up at this point.
Nadir approached me, hit me with a strong force on my forehead and I
fell on the floor. Others in the room started kicking me with their
feet. Seid asked Rauf if he had a bottle and he said yes, but there
is a little bit of a vodka in it. Seid said “pull his pants down,
he must turn into a queer.”
Rauf Mejidov told me that even if things will be done to you, are you
going to go outside and say that they tore my ass up? I told them that
it is better to be beaten to death, than to be like that. Thereafter,
they said that an order has been given and you must be arrested. Out
of respect to you, we are taking you in this way. I was forced to
state that the gun belonged to me. They wrote the script for me
themselves, as if I found this gun two months ago, in a plastic bag,
on the side of Araz while on my way back from cutting grass. I agreed
and my confession was written this way. After this Rauf Mejidov told
me that Anti-Organized Crime Unit officers do not know, but you do,
why are you not saying that the grass can’t be cut two months ago? Why
are you not saying it? I said that you are writing it yourselves. I
am not the one saying it.
After this the script was changed. This script was put together by Rauf
Mejidov and Seid. They said that you will say that two months ago,
on your way back from pasturing the animals, you found the gun in
a white plastic bag on the side of Araz. The confession was written
in this way. After this Nadir said that, I should give them 5 (five)
bullets. I asked him where would I get it. He said we will throw it
under your house, you will get it from there and give it.
I signed a confession written this way. I would like to note that I
never had animals, and do not have any right now. I never pastured
livestock or shepherd sheep. I have spent my life in Russia and Baku,
engaged in trade. I returned to the village in August of 2009 and
due to the river flood have stayed to help out the people – worked
in the village. Prior to this, I have not lived in a village.
Approximately, late afternoon, until 15 [3 o’clock], with a car and
with black masked people we set out to the village. I showed them
the location of our house. We stopped on the street. Destroying the
entrance door they went inside. When they entered they kicked and
turned upside down the table and chairs in the yard. They shoved me
under the house and Seid said pick it up. I asked him to pick what up?
Seid said, the plastic bag. I picked up the plastic bag, it was torn
and empty. Then Seid said not that one, the plastic bag under the
tile. I picked up the plastic bag and saw five (5) bullets inside it.
I gave the plastic bag to Seid. There was a video recording taking
place at this time. They put me in a gray car and I was taken to a
police station, and from there to Baku. On the way Seid said to other
agents that Nadir was rebuked for not seizing more items.
Dear Prosecutor!
Currently, the flesh of my left ear is torn, I cannot hear well and
I feel sharp pain.
In addition to this, the pain I felt from the blows I received near
my heart on my left side as I was beaten remains.
I require an immediate medical examination.
I ask of you to ensure that the court comes to a decision on ordering
a medical examination upon me and in order to investigate my torture
and to determine the injuries I have received.
My appeal will be presented by my defence and private lawyer, Samir
Isayev, whom you can contact by telephone with on 050 (055) XXX XX XX.
Yours sincerely,
Signature: Ilham Amiraslanov18 June 2012
Lawyer Samir Isayev
* Translated from Azerbaijani by Nigar Jalilova and Tural Ahmedzade
From: Baghdasarian