In Azerbaijan, arrested journalist claims being ill-treated by MIA staff

Vugar Gonagov, Executive Director of the "Khayal TV" Regional TV Channel, who was arrested in connection with the criminal case on the mass riots in the city of Guba on March 1, has claimed being ill-treated during his detention at the Chief Department to Combat Organized Crime (known as GUBOP) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). Orkhan Mansurzade, the representative of the Azerbaijani MIA, claimed no torture and inhuman treatment being used.

Vugar Gonagov: I was subjected to pressure to give confession

In his appeal to the media, Vugar Gonagov reports that on March 13, he was invited to the District Prosecutor's Office. According to him, despite his fever heat, he was brought to the office of the TV Channel, where a search was conducted. After that, Vugar Gonagov was detained and brought to the Guba District Police Division, where, according to his appeal, no medical treatment was rendered to him.

According to Vugar Gonagov, such an attitude towards him continued also after on March 14, he was transferred to the Baku GUBOP.

According to the journalist, on March 14, he "was questioned in the presence of Vilayat Eivazov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Rustam Usubov, First Deputy General Prosecutor, Mirgaf Seidov, Chief of the GUBOP, and other top-ranking officials." Meanwhile, according to Vugar Gonagov, he was subjected to pressure to give a confession.

According to Vugar Gonagov, on March 17, he was brought with fever heat to the Nasimi District Court of Baku, which had pronounced a pre-trial restriction measure against him in the form of arrest. "They gave me some papers, and I signed them. I could understand nothing because of the fever heat," Vugar Gonagov said.

On March 18, according to the Vugar Gonagov's appeal, at the office of the GUBOP's Chief, he was subjected to pressure to force him to give "a confession". "I was threatened that I should better give a confession or, otherwise, they would torture me with a bottle and sent to prison, which I would never leave. Under those threats and pressure, I was forced to confess," Vugar Gonagov said.

According to him, starting from March 14 till March 18, he "had no lawyer and was forced to testify without defender." "On March 18, I was provided with public lawyer Shokhrat Allakhmanov, who did not even examine the case materials," Vugar Gonagov writes in his appeal.

According to the journalist, he met independent lawyer Elchin Sadygov only on March 28. "After that, the GUBOP administration and other officers exerted pressure on me, demanding to waive the service of Elchin Sadygov. When I refused, they tied me to the bed and held for the whole day in that condition," he stresses.

According to the appeal, on March 30, at the office of the GUBOP's Chief, Vugar Gonagov signed written statement to waive the services of Elchin Sadygov (Sadygov again began to defend Gonagov after his transfer to the SIZO (pre-trial prison), note of the "Caucasian Knot").

Vugar Gonagov calls his detention at the GUBOP "a period of inhuman treatment." "During 23 days of detention at the GUBOP, every day I was subjected to pressure and abuse, and most of that time I was sick. During the period of detention at the GUBOP, I lost 21 kg of my weight," Vugar Gonagov sums up.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that in April, Zaur Guliev, another person, arrested in that case, also complained about inhuman treatment at the GUBOP.

"From time to time, I was interrogated with my hands tied behind my back, and it lasted for hours," Zaur Guliev writes. He has noted that they forced him "to confess the transfer of disc with the video of speech of Rauf Gabibov, District Chief Executive, to Elkhan Aliev, Chief of Guba City Municipality," (he was arrested in connection with the events in Guba, note of the "Caucasian Knot").

Elchin Sadygov: several articles of European Convention on Human Rights were violated with respect to my clients

The journalists' lawyer Elchin Sadygov believes that with respect to his clients Vugar Gonagov and Zaur Guliev, several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights have been violated: the prohibition of torture, the right to a fair trial, the freedom of expression.

"The very fact of detention of the journalists at the GUBOP for 23 days is a gross violation of the procedure. After pronouncement of pre-trial restriction measure, arrested persons should be transferred to SIZO. Moreover, the investigation is being unnecessarily delayed for almost 8 months already. While the case against three groups of defendants of the Guba events had been brought to the court, the pre-trial restriction measure in the form of arrest against Vugar Gonagov and Zaur Guliev has been unreasonably extended to mid-November, although no investigation is underway," Elchin Sadygov said.

According to him, after completing all necessary procedures, the defence will file a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Orkhan Mansurzade: no torture and inhuman treatment were used

However, Orkhan Mansurzade, the representative of the Azerbaijani MIA, refuted the statement of Vugar Gonagov about inhuman treatment at the GUBOP.

According to him, in accordance with the tactics of defence, every defendant wants to present his position as a truth.