Azerbaijan: Samedov, IPA leader, placed in dungeon

After serving his two-year sentence in a closed-type prison, Movsum Samedov, the leader of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA), was transferred to a general-security colony, where he was placed in the dungeon (penalty cell) for 15 days, said his advocate, who treats this decision as illegal.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in January 2011, IPA members, including Movsum Samedov, were arrested and accused under four articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, in particular, of "terrorism, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy" and "an attempt to seize power by force".

"On the following day after Samedov's arrival in Colony No. 12, he was immediately place in the dungeon for 15 days. I have no official information about the reasons for the punishment," the advocate told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, adding that in any case "placing a convict into the dungeon immediately after his arrival in the colony is illegitimate."

"Most likely, the colony administration decided to 'take preventive measures', as they think, to 'intimidate Samedov from the very start'."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.