12 January 2005, 23:32
Deaths from torture registered in police departments
In his interview with the Caucasian Knot correspondent, chairman of the Azerbaijan Committee Against Torture Elchin Bekhbudov said that 7 deaths from torture were registered in Azerbaijan in 2004.
Altogether more than 50 people lodged their complaints with the committee in 2004, Mr Bekhbudov announced. "We receive complaints about high-handedness taking place in police departments. We wanted to investigate these cases, but Interior Ministry top officials raise difficulties to our investigation. Azerbaijan Interior Minister Ramil Usubov does not permit monitoring temporary detention isolators," Mr Bekhbudov explained. Reports on all cases of illegal treatment of people by policemen will be sent to the president's staff, the Azerbaijan Prosecutor General's Office, the World Organization Against Torture, and the OSCE, he added.
Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent
