According to Jafarli, the doctors of the Ministry of Justice told Mammadov that he needed to improve his bedding conditions. They reportedly said, “You need a solid bedding set to at least mitigate pains.”
Having met with Ilgar Mammadov, his family members said his health had relatively improved. Yet, the issue of foreign doctors to visit and examine the REAL Chairman through the agency of the Red Cross Committee is still relevant. The Committee was approached with this request last week.
Head of the Penitentiary Press Service Mehman Sadigov’s opinion on this request was as follows. “Inmates may be examined by specialists of their choice, along with doctors working for the Penitentiary Service. That is, they can receive treatment at their own expense under the supervision of Penitentiary Service doctors. This is a requirement of the legislation.”
Recall that, Ilgar Mammadov contacted his family last week, complained about health problems and expressed his wish to be examined by foreign doctors.
Background: REAL Movement Chairman Ilgar Mammadov was arrested together with Musavat Party Deputy Chairman, journalist Tofig Yagublu on 4 February 2013, in the wake of the protests that swept Azerbaijan’s north-western city Ismayilli on 23 January 2013 and resulted in the arson of the Chirag Hotel and 4 cars in the city. The protests broke out after the Chirag Hotel employee, Baku resident Emil Shamsaddinov caused a road accident due to drunk driving, after which he and his passenger, Baku resident Elmaddin Mammadov beat up and injured the Ismayilli resident Ramil Bakirov who was nearby, and insulted the local residents before the very eyes of the crowd, who had gathered in the area of incident. More than 15 people, who had participated in the protests, as well as Emil Shamsaddinov and Elmaddin Mammadov, were later arrested. Tofig Yagublu and Ilgar Mammadov travelled to Ismayilli one day after the protests, on 24 January, in their capacity as a political figure and a journalist, to get firsthand information from locals about what had happened.
Mammadov and Yagublu were initially charged under Articles 233 (organisation of actions promoting infringement of the public order or active participation in such actions) and 315 (resistance to a representative of authority) of the Criminal Code. Later, the former of the charges was re-classified to Article 220.1 (organisation of mass disorders accompanied by violence, pillage, arson or destruction of property or participation in such disorders). By Shaki Grave Crimes Court’s judgment of 17 March 2014, Ilgar Mammadov was sentenced to 7 years and Tofig Yagublu to 5 years in jail. The appeal against the verdict was not granted by Saki Appeal Court. On 13 October 2015, Supreme Court sent their case back to Shaki Appeal Court for reconsideration. Shaki Appeal Court upheld the verdict by its decision of 29 April 2016. Journalist Tofig Yagublu was eventually released under the president’s pardon decree of 17 March 2016.
On 22 May 2014, European Court recognised violation of Ilgar Mammadov’s rights under Articles 5.1 and 5.4 (right to liberty), 6.2 (presumption of innocence) and 18 (limitation on the use of restrictions on rights) of the European Convention on Human Rights.