Nijat Aliyev, the editor-in-chief of www.azadxeber.az website, was tortured after he was arrested, his lawyer Anar Gasimli reported to the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) today.
“They tortured Aliyev in such a way that no mark of torture was left on his body. They condemned him for his frequent articles about LGBT issues on www.azadxeber.az.”
They also tried to blackmail him, said Gasimli. The police told Aliyev that if he doesn’t admit to drug related charges, they will sentence him to more than 5 years in jail, under more serious charges. They allegedly warned him that they could plant drugs in his apartment, which would put his family members at risk, said the lawyer, and added that they will take legal measures regarding this case.
On May 20th at 7:20pm, www.azadxeber.az website editor-in-chief Nijat Aliyev was detained in front of Killer menswear shop near Memar Ajami metro station and taken to Yasamal District Police Office #27. He was charged under Article 234.1 (Illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics/psychotropic substances) and sentenced to 2 months of pre-trial detention. Nijat Aliyev is currently being held in Kurdakhani investigative prison.