Giyas Ibrahimov, who is held in Baku Detention Facility, is not allowed to meet with his mother, youth activist’s mother Shura Amiraslanova told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS).
Youth activist Giyas Ibrahimov wrote “Happy Slave Holiday” and “fuck the system” on the late Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev’s statue facing the Central Bank near the 28-May metro station, and Bayram Mammadov took a photo of the slogans on the statue.
The photo of the slogans was shared on NIDA civic movement’s Facebook page late on May 9. The two youth went missing since the evening hours on May 10. It was only on May 12, 2016 that the Ministry of Internal Affairs released information on the youths’ arrest. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of operational search actions carried out by the officers of the Drug Enforcement Department of Baku City Main Police Office, Police Office #22 of Nasimi District Police Department and Police Office #25 of Nizami District Police Department, 2,607 grams of heroin was found on Giyas Ibrahimov on the territory of Nasimi district and seized, and additional 1 kilogram and 10 grams of heroin was found and seized during the search of his apartment. As a result of other operational search actions carried out by the officers of the Drug Enforcement Department of Baku City Main Police Office and Police Office #12 of Sabunchu District Police Department, 2,904 grams of heroin was found on Sabunchu settlement resident Bayram Mammadov and seized, and additional 1 kilogram and 150 grams of heroin was found and seized during the search of his house.
Both activists are charged under Articles 234.4.1 (illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances or their precursors – on preliminary arrangement by a group of persons or by an organized group) and 234.4.3 (- in a large amount) of the Criminal Code.
Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov were ordered detained for 4 months by Khatai District Court’s decision of May 12, 2016. Amnesty International has declared Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov “prisoners of conscience.”
Shura Amiraslanova says no reasons were provided for the refusal of a meeting with her son in the detention facility. “They just said that it was not within their scope of powers and that they were only responsible for handing parcels over to inmates. Although we are supposed to meet once a week, we have met just once since Giyas was arrested. Though I reminded this all to them, I did not get a concrete response. They advised me to apply to prison management. Then I spoke to lawyer Elchin Sadigov. At this moment, the lawyer is looking into it. I last talked to Giyas on the phone on June 24. He says he is OK, but I don’t believe before seeing it with my own eyes,” the youth activist’s mother added.
Giyas Ibrahimov’s lawyer Elchin Sadigov said denying a meeting between the prisoner of conscience and his mother is a violation of the law. According to the lawyer, by law a person held in custody is entitled to a meeting with his relatives at least once a week.