UN anti-torture body to issue advice to Baku
The United Nations Committee Against Torture has decided after
two-day discussions held in Geneva to issue recommendations to
Azerbaijan and some of its members may visit the country soon to
study the situation firsthand.
Rasul Jafarov, a representative of the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Security (IRFS) who attended the discussions, has told Radio Liberty that several reports assessing the situation with torture and inhumane treatment of people had been submitted to the Committee. The government’s report says the necessary legal and actual environment has been ensured in Azerbaijan to counter torture, and 161 people were held accountable in the country in 2001-2008 over pertinent crimes.
A group of rights groups has submitted an alternative report to the UN committee claiming that Azerbaijani citizens are still subjected to torture though such abuse is prohibited by the law. The rights defenders maintained that young bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli arrested this summer are not receiving the needed medical aid in the detention facility and that Novruzali Mammadov, the editor of the Tolishi Sedo newspaper, died in jail due to the alleged lack of timely medical care.
The IRFS representative said it had been established that the 161 persons cited in the government’s report were punished over domestic violence, which suggests that they are rank-and-file citizens, not employees of law enforcement agencies.
Baku’s report was defended during the discussions in Geneva by a delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.*
Rasul Jafarov, a representative of the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Security (IRFS) who attended the discussions, has told Radio Liberty that several reports assessing the situation with torture and inhumane treatment of people had been submitted to the Committee. The government’s report says the necessary legal and actual environment has been ensured in Azerbaijan to counter torture, and 161 people were held accountable in the country in 2001-2008 over pertinent crimes.
A group of rights groups has submitted an alternative report to the UN committee claiming that Azerbaijani citizens are still subjected to torture though such abuse is prohibited by the law. The rights defenders maintained that young bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli arrested this summer are not receiving the needed medical aid in the detention facility and that Novruzali Mammadov, the editor of the Tolishi Sedo newspaper, died in jail due to the alleged lack of timely medical care.
The IRFS representative said it had been established that the 161 persons cited in the government’s report were punished over domestic violence, which suggests that they are rank-and-file citizens, not employees of law enforcement agencies.
Baku’s report was defended during the discussions in Geneva by a delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.*
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