Azerbaijani oppositionist Salaev tells about torture at police

Alizamin Salaev, an activist of the Salyan regional organization of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was released after his third administrative arrest over the last six months. He said that during his second arrest, law enforcers tortured him, knocking out a tooth and damaging his ribs.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 7, Alizamin Salaev was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest on charges of disobeying policemen. The PFPA treated his arrest as politically motivated.

Salaev was set free on May 22 around the noon. He told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that over the past six months he was detained four times.

The activist claims that after his second arrest, law enforcers tortured him. "They knocked out my tooth and damaged my ribs. My back was all in bruises after beatings. Ombudsman's representatives were the witnesses of the torture," said Salaev.

He has added that he had applied to doctors after torture, but failed to receive any documents confirming his traumas. "Visual traces of bruises on the body disappeared after 25 days of arrest. However, I still feel pain in my ribs. But doctors know that I am an oppositionist; and they were afraid to document the injuries," said the oppositionist.

He links his latest arrest with a video message posted on his Facebook page on April 30, where Salaev criticized threats to the independent journalist, Sevindj Osmangyzy, voiced out by the pro-government TV channel.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 22, 2019 at 08:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.