Two inmates have allegedly been beaten to death in Prison #6 of the Penitentiary Service. Two other prisoners have reportedly been taken to the Inmates’ Treatment Facility in grave condition after being tortured.
Human rights defender Intigam Aliyev and NIDA Movement member Rashad Hasanov are also being held in Prison #6.
Ramin Ibrahimov, the brother of one of the deceased inmates, Nurani Ibrahimov, believes that his brother was beaten to death.
“My brother Nurani Ibrahimov was in Prison #2 until ten days ago (February 2). Ten days ago, Elchin Alijanov was appointed as the new Chief of Prison #2. After his appointment, my brother and four other inmates were relocated to Prison #6. But Elchin Alijanov did not tell us where they had been moved. We followed the prison transport van on February 2, which took us to Prison #6. On February 2, we went to Prison #6 and they told us that everything was all right, but they refused to accept the clothes that we had brought [for Nurani]. On February 12, officials from Prison #6 telephoned us, and told us that Nurani Ibrahimov had died. We went to the morgue and saw that his leg had been broken and his liver had been ‘exploded.’ His heels were all swollen and covered in black bruises. They had hit the bottom of his feet with a baton, and broken his leg. Sahib Abbasov, who had been transferred to Prison #6 together with my brother, was also beaten to death. His body was taken to Ganja. The other inmates, Elmir and Tariyel, are in critical condition and have been hospitalized,” said Ramin Ibrahimov.
Nurani Ibrahimov’s body has been handed over to his family by Nizami District Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Union. Ibrahimov’s father Fuad Ibrahimov says that in the phone call he received from Prison #6, officials told him that his son had died as a result of a drug overdose.
“My son did not even smoke, let alone use drugs in prison. My son’s body bears traces of torture. My son stabbed a man after argument in 2011 and was sentenced to 7 years in prison on charges of attempted murder, although the man survived. He did not have a single argument with anyone during his 5 years in prison,” said Fuad Ibrahimov.
Nurani Ibrahimov’s family has shared photos of the body with local media outlets.[1]
The Penitentiary Service has released a statement on these allegations.
“The inmate Nurani Ibrahimov, who was serving a 7-year jail sentence for attempting to commit a crime (article 29) and attempted murder (article 120.1) of the Criminal Code in Prison #6, suddenly became unwell and collapsed during the legally stipulated exercise period. Despite the provision of emergency medical aid, he died. This was immediately reported to the Prosecutor’s Office and an investigation was launched. The initial examination of the body conducted by the forensic medical expert did not reveal injuries causing death, and so a further forensic medical examination was scheduled to determine the cause of the death. The biased information being disseminated about the alleged fatal assault of Sahib Abbasov, another inmate in that prison, and the allegation of injuries inflicted upon inmates Elmir Asadov and Tariyel Shahverdiyev and their hospitalization are fictitious and untrue. These statements are aimed at misleading the public. Those inmates have telephoned their parents and relatives to reassure them following the false information circulated in the press,” the statement by the Penitentiary Service read.
On December 12, 2014, inmate Elshad Babayev was beaten to death in Prison #14. His death was not investigated.
[1]https://www.google.az/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1279&bih=697&q=nurani+ibrahimov&oq=nurani+ibrahimov&gs_l=img.3…1385.6638.0.6799.18.17.1.0.0.0.398.2476.0j8j0j3.11.0….0…1.1.64.img..6.3.771.ZDzE7xqbiFQ#imgrc=Zq0FnvGUyWBaxM%3A