Anti-Torture Research Centre on Azerbaijan
"The situation in the fight against torture in Azerbaijan is very bad, the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms is declining, people are being tortured and their rights are being violated at every step." This is stated in the report of the Centre for Research against Torture on human rights and cases of torture for January and February 2022.
According to the monitoring and observations researchers at the Centre for the Study of Torture, the most violations occurred in the realm of political rights, freedom of opinion and personal immunity, a fair trial, property, and the right not to be subjected to torture or discrimination have been violated in Azerbaijan in recent months.
The Centre believes that the courts are completely dependent on the political authorities and cannot be expected to uphold a fair trial, and that they carry out political orders in politically motivated cases.
"Socially poor people face social injustice, including the illegal abolition of privileges and degrees of disability of citizens who receive degrees of disability by legal criteria," the report said. Proof of violation of their rights and freedoms, torture, inhuman treatment, and violation of their rights in court were presented.
Tofig Yagublu, a member of the National Council and the Musavat Party, was detained by police for no reason during the protest, taken to Alat and severely tortured. Eldar Hasanov, a former Prosecutor General and ambassador to foreign countries before his arrest, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on trumped-up charges. Public activist Ismayilov Fuad was unjustifiably detained and sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention under severe torture.
The document also says that after the deportation of APFP members Mutallim Oruj, Malik Rzayev, Punhan Karimli and Jafar Mirzayev, who were in exile in Germany, to Azerbaijan, an illegal, organised criminal case was opened against them and they were arrested.
The Centre also appealed to the arrest of Ali Aliyev, chairman of the Citizen and Development Party, on charges of libel, torture in a criminal case known as the "Tartar case" and other facts.