Baku / 03.04.20 / Turan: A member of the Popular Front Party Agyl Humbatov has again been sent to a psychiatric hospital. After yesterday’s detention, he was again sent to court, and based on the testimonies of three false witnesses, it was decided that he was still crazy. Although two days ago, the same court ruled that Humbatov was mentally healthy.

His relatives are convinced that he was again detained for reporting in social networks about the terrible conditions in the psychiatric hospital and about the illegal actions of the police. –0—–

* * *

2020 April 03 (Friday) 00:13:23

Agyl Humbatov Detained Again (UPDATED)

Agyl Humbatov was again detained on April 2. This was reported by his wife.

In her opinion, Humbatov was detained because of his speech on social networks in which he talked about the appalling conditions in the psychiatric hospital. –0—-

* * *

2020 April 02 (Thursday) 14:31:34

Oppositionist about staying in a mental hospital

Baku/02.04.20/Turan: On March 1, activist of the Popular Front Party, Agil Humbatov, who was imprisoned on March 1 at the No. 1 Psychiatric Hospital in the village of Mashtaga, was released on April 1.

In his video message on Facebook, he said that he was forced into a psychiatric hospital by a court decision.

“I was detained by people in civilian clothes and taken to the police. An ambulance was called there, which, along with the police, drove me to the hospital. The psychiatric hospital did not want to take, because I had a fever. However, the police insisted,” says Humbatov.

He was placed in the infectious diseases ward, given medications, after which the temperature dropped. At the same time, doctors noted his lack of mental illness.

However, Humbatov was placed in the same room with the mentally ill. The latter was in a dirty state and aggressive. “I redeemed him, after which he calmed down and fell asleep.” The activist claims that in the hospital unsanitary conditions and patients are given terribly poor-quality food.

Humbatov said that the reason for his imprisonment in the hospital was a court decision that said that he allegedly took off his pants in a public place.

“That’s bullshit. They cannot even slander a person normally,” Humbatov said.

On April 1, a judge of the Sabunchu court suddenly appeared in the hospital presented a new decision on his release.

Humbatov was detained after his March 29 video appeal to the country’s leadership complaining about the lack of funds to treat a sick child. –06D-

A coalition of solidarity in the name of justice and civil society activists condemned the arrest of the head of the Sumgait Youth Education NGO and editor-in-chief of the Yukselish Namine website Elcin Mammad.

“A well-known human rights activist, a member of the Coalition of Solidarity for Justice, the editor-in-chief of the Yukselish Namine newspaper, Elchin Mammad, was detained by the police on March 30 in his home in Sumgayit and taken to the police department. Elchin Mammad was subjected to insults before his young children. A criminal case has been instituted against him under article 177.2.4 (theft) of the Criminal Code, which is based on a libelous charge. Today, the court chose a preventive measure in respect of him in the form of an arrest for a period of three months, and he was imprisoned in Shuvelan pre-trial detention center-3,” the statement said.

The authors of the document condemn the arrest of Elchin Mammad, and demand his immediate release.

The activists say they do not believe Mammad’s charge of theft, given his reputation as a principled champion of human rights.

The charge of theft is all the more ridiculous given the fact that Mammad has provided free legal assistance to needy citizens for many years.

“How justified and reasonable is it to place a well-known human rights activist under arrest, while millions of people under the quarantine regime are forced to “stay at home”? This step discredits Azerbaijan in the eyes of the international democratic community,” the statement said.

The activists are perplexed by the arrests of Elchin Mammad and former opposition politician Tofig Yagublu against the background of recent meetings of the presidential administration representative Adalat Veliyev with party leaders, as well as calls by President Ilham Aliyev himself for dialogue.

“It turns out that there are those who impede the achievement of the goals set by President Ilham Aliyev. This bothers us as a civil society, therefore, we want to eliminate this tension. The arrests of Tofig Yagublu and Elchin Mammad on trumped-up charges show that authorities abusing the tragic days in the country are again using repressive methods to isolate social and political activists, leaving them unprotected,” the statement said. The authors demand the immediate release of Elchin Mammad and Tofig Yagublu.

The statement was signed by Novella Jafaroglu, Saadat Bananyarly, Said Gojamanli, Arzu Abdullayeva, Mirvari Gahramanli, Avaz Zeynalli, Hilal Mammadov, Avaz Hasanov, Mehman Aliyev, and Shahla Ismail.

By TURAN 01 April 2020

During the suppression of the Sunday rally of feminists in Baku, the police once again used brute force against journalists.

Most of all injured was Isolde Agaeva from Meydan TV, who received a scratch on her throat from the police.

Aisel Umudova, another journalist from Meydan TV, was detained when she recorded the arrest of the protesters. The journalist was detained for several hours in the 39th Sabail Police Precinct, demanding that the recordings be deleted, but the girl did not succumb to pressure and, ultimately, she was released.

Toplum TV journalist Zarifa Novruz was hit on the arm, her mobile phone was taken and damaged, and her press card was torn.

Physical pressure was also exerted on Turan agency reporters Aziz Kerimov and Tatyana Kryuchkina, Fargana Novruzova (azadlıq.info), Nargiz Abdsalamova (Mikroskop Media), and Samir Ali (anews.az).

The police prevented the journalists from filming.

Some of the journalists suffered after the rally, when they were pushed away from the building of the 39th police station, where they were waiting for the release of the detained protesters. The journalists were forcibly taken to the subway and put on a train and escorted to the next station.

STATEMENT BY IRFS – THE AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES MUST END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN CRITICS

The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) condemns the Azerbaijani authorities for the politically motivated persecution of women critics and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to put an end to all forms of pressure and to create equal and safe professional conditions in the country.
IRFS regrets to ascertain that the position of women critics has not improved even after Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe.

To this day, the Azerbaijani authorities have not investigated or prosecuted those responsible for the 2007 arrest and death by torture while in custody of opposition activist Faina Kungurova. She was arrested for attempting to protest along the route of the motorcade of President Ilham Aliyev.

Exactly eight years ago, on March 7, 2012, on the eve of the International Women’s Day, Azerbaijani authorities deliberately launched a campaign of moral terror and discreditation against the journalist Khadija Ismailova, who, at that time, was investigating the illegally acquired fortune of the family of President Ilham Aliyev. IRFS conducted a private investigation that proved that the Ministry of National Security (reformed and renamed the State Security Service in 2015) was the one behind the illegal hidden video of the journalist’s personal life and the further blackmail. The Ministry was carrying out a dirty political order from the ruling elite. Not limited to blackmail and bullying, the authorities arrested the journalist and sentenced her to 7.5 years in prison. After a year and a half of time served, the authorities released her, replacing the imprisonment with probation. To this day, Khadija Ismayilova cannot leave the country, she was not even allowed to visit and say goodbye to her sick mother who was being treated in Turkey and subsequently died on March 7, 2018.

The prominent human rights defender Leyla Yunus, who investigated the arrests and tortures of numerous political prisoners, including the death of Faina Kungurova, became herself a political prisoner in 2014 and spent almost a year and a half behind bars, after which she was forced to leave Azerbaijan as a political refugee.

Another ardent critic of the government, journalist Sevinj Osmangizi, even after leaving the country through political migration to the United States, continues to be subjected to pressure from the special services of Azerbaijan who periodically try to threaten her with the distribution of illegally collected materials regarding her personal life, similar to the strategy and blackmail used against Khadija Ismailova. A few months ago, an unidentified person deliberately damaged the security systems of Sevinj’s car in order to provoke a car accident.
The young journalist Fatima Movlanly also faces blackmail with private material by the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies. For the last two years a politically motivated and illegal travel ban was also put in place against her.
“Fell victims to the authorities’ oppression not only brave women like Faina Kugurova, Khadija Ismailova, Leyla Yunus, Gezal Bayramly and Nigar Yagublu, but also hundreds of mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of political prisoners who experienced the pain of the political persecution of their loved ones.” said the executive director of the IRFS, Emin Huseynov. “The Azerbaijani authorities did not stop only at my expulsion from the country and the arrest of my brother, a former prisoner of conscience, blogger Mehman Huseynov, they actually killed our mother Frangiz Huseynova with their deliberate inaction and negligence. Furthermore, our mother’s mysterious death coincided with the anniversary of my escape from the hands of the regime. To this day, the Azerbaijani authorities refuse to investigating the circumstances of our mother’s death, although it is unambiguously obvious to me that this crime was committed by the authorities to try to lure me back to Azerbaijan and inflict irreparable pain on me and my brother.” Huseynov concluded.

IRFS welcomes the International Women of Courage Award presented by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US First Lady Melanie Trump to one of the most important advocates for human rights in Azerbaijan, lawyer Shahla Humbatova.
IRFS calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to follow the example of the democratic nations in recognizing and promoting the merits of women and their contribution and struggle in building a free democratic society and not hinder them with repressive barriers.

IRFS urges the Azerbaijani authorities to investigate all the tragic deaths of women who fought for freedom of expression and to bring those responsible to justice. Also, to immediately suspend the criminal prosecution of women critics with full rehabilitation of their rights including the right to freedom of movement. We ask that the authorities restore Shakhla Gumbatova’s right to practice law and put an end the trumped-up criminal case opened against her, that Irada Javadova’s right to practice law is also restored. IRFS calls on the authorities to stop creating obstacles aimed at limiting freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association of women in Azerbaijan.

March 7, 2020

Институт Свободы и Безопасности Репортеров осуждает власти Азербайджана за политически мотивированное преследование женщин-критиков и призывает власти Азербайджана положить конец всем видам давления, создав в стране равноправные и безопасные условия.

ИСБР с сожалением констатирует, что положение женщин-критиков не улучшилось даже после вступления Азербайджана в Совет Европы.

По сей день власти Азербайджана не расследуют и не привлекают к ответственности виновных в аресте и смерти от пыток в заключении в 2007 году оппозиционной активистки Фаины Кунгуровой, арестованной за попытку проведения акции протеста на пути следования кортежа президента Ильхама Алиева.

Ровно восемь лет назад 7 марта 2012 года власти Азербайджана в преддверии Международного Женского Дня преднамеренно начали кампанию морального террора и дискредитации против журналистки Хадижы Исмаиловой, занимающейся расследованием незаконно нажитого состояния семьей президента Ильхама Алиева. ИСБР проведя собственное расследование доказал, что за скрытой и незаконной видео сьемкой личной жизни журналистки и дальнейшим шантажом стояло Министерство Национальной Безопасности (расформировано и переименована в Службу Государственной Безопасности в 2015 году), выполняющее грязный политический заказ правящей элиты. Не ограничившись шантажом и травлей, власти пошли на арест журналистки, приговорив ее к 7,5 годам заключения. После полуторагодового заключения власти выпустили журналистку заменив арест на условное отбывание наказания. Журналистка по сей день не может покинуть пределы страны, ей даже не дали возможность проститься с больной матерью, которая находилась на лечении в Турции и умерла 7 марта 2018 года.

Известная правозащитника Лейла Юнус расследовавшая аресты и пытки многочисленных политзаключенных, в том числе гибель в тюрьме Фаины Кунгуровой, сама превратилась в политзаключенную в 2014 году и провела в тюрьме почти полтора года, после чего была вынуждена уехать из Азербайджана в политическую миграцию.

Другой ярый критик власти журналист Севиндж Османгызы даже после своего отъезда из страны в политическую миграцию в США продолжает подвергаться давлению со стороны спецслужб Азербайджана, которые периодически пытаются угрожать ей шантажом распространением незаконно собранных материалов касающейся ее личной жизни, так как в свое время это делали с Хадижей Исмаиловой. Несколько месяцев назад неизвестные преднамеренно повредили системы безопасности управляемого ею автомобиля с целью спровоцировать автокатастрофу.

Шантажом со стороны правоохранительных органов распространением материалов касающихся личной жизни также столкнулась и юная журналистка Фатима Мовланлы, против которой последние два года действует политически мотивированный незаконный заперт на выезд за рубеж.

«Жертвами репрессией властей стали не только такие отважные женщины как Фаина Кунгурова, Хадижа Исмаилова, Лейла Юнус, Гезал Байрамы и Нигяр Ягублу, но также и сотни матерей, жен, сестер и дочерей политических заключённых, которые переживали боль политического преследования своих близких», – заявил исполнительный директор ИСБР Эмин Гусейнов. Не ограничившись моим изгнанием из Азербайджана и арестом моего брата, бывшего узника совести, блогера Мехмана Гусейнова власти фактически убили своим преднамеренным бездействием и халатностью нашу мать Франгиз Гусейнову, загадочная смерть которой совпала с годовщиной моего побега от рук режима. Более того власти Азербайджана по сей день оказываются от расследования обстоятельств смерти нашей матери, хотя для меня однозначно очевидно, что данное преступление было совершено властями чтобы попытаться выманить меня обратно в Азербайджана и причинить мне и моего брату непоправимую боль, – подытожил Гусейнов.

ИСБР приветствуют вручение Госсекретарем США Майком Помпео и первой леди США Меланий Трамп Международной премии за женскую отвагу одной из самых принципиальных защитниц прав человека в Азербайджане адвокату Шахле Гумбатовой.

ИСБР призывает власти Азербайджана последовать примеру демократичных стран в признание и поощрении заслуг женщин в борьбе за построение свободного демократического общества, а не чинить им репрессивные преграды.

ИСБР призывает власти расследовать все трагические случаи гибели женщин, ставивших жертвами борьбы за свободу выражения и привлечь виновных к ответственности, немедленно приостановить уголовное преследование женщин-критиков с полной реабилитацией их прав, а также права на свободу передвижения, восстановить право на занятие адвокатской деятельностью Шахлы Гумбатовой и положить конец начатому против нее сфабрикованному уголовному делу, восстановить право на занятие адвокатской деятельности Ирады Джавадовой, прекратить чинить любые препятствия направленные на ограничения свободы выражения, свободы собрания и свободы объединения женщин в Азербайджане.