Today.Az » Society » Elchin Behbudov: "If such brutal tortures are used against a person, well-known in the country, the one who receives presidential scholarship, then what is done to ordinary citizens, detained by the head department on combat with organized crime under Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry?!"
21 May 2008 [14:22] - Today.Az
Day.Az interview with chief of Azerbaijani committee against torture Elchin Behbudov.
-How would you comment on the information that Azerbaijani boxer Ramal Amanov was subjected to brutal tortures after being arrested by officials of the head department on combat with organized crime under the interior Ministry?
-It is hard to find words for maximally diplomatic description of my state after I heard this news. Believe me, it is difficult to surprise me with announcements about tortures in the head department for combat with organized crime. I have repeatedly informed about what occurs in this institution.
But still I am shocked with this information!Yes, Ramal Amanov has not yet complained to me about the tortures. But this information was made public and I will do everything possible for punishment of those who are responsible for it and for informing the world about the lawlessness and atrocities, committed in the head department on combat against organized crime.
In this connection, I would like to say that today I have held a monitoring in the temporary isolation ward of the said institution together with my assistant. Moreover, I was demonstrated a record book of those detained in the temporary detention facility and it did not fix records about Amanov's staying there.
But practice shows that the tortures against the detained are committed not in wards but in the offices of investigators. Therefore, I do not rule out that Amanov was subjected to tortures at one of the offices of the department.
And if so, I condemn everyone who used tortures to Ramal Amanov, those who humiliated the person, sacrificing the best years of his life, his talent, his health for raising the flag of Azerbaijan, filling hearts of all world Azerbaijanis with pride for their country!
One should be so confident of his own impunity to torture a person, famous not only in the country but also in the whole world of sport with electricity!
A reasonable question arises: if such brutal tortures are used against a person, well-known in the country, the one who received a presidential scholarship, what is done to ordinary citizens, detained by the head department on combat with organized crime under Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry?!
I would like to look into the eyes of respectable Rabiyat Aslanova, Milli Medjlis deputy, member of the permanent parliamentary commission on human rights, who stated that tortures are not applied against the detained in Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, practice shows that no one in Azerbaijan can be sure that tortures will bypass him.
-How often the tortures with electricity and others are applied in the departments of the Internal Ministry against less famous people?
-We have such information, by the way, not for the first time. Electricity and other brutal tortures are not rare in the police departments and other departments of the Ministry. Therefore, I have repeatedly demanded to bring police officers, who commit tortures, to responsibility. Only ones the policemen who committed torture against Karabakh war invalid were punished, though not under articles on application of tortures, but under an article, envisioning punishment for abusing powers.
Unfortunately, this often ends in concealing the fact of torture and the cases of the responsible policemen are closed.
Therefore, I state the need to create a work group on investigation of facts of torture application. But a number of local high-ranking officials speak against this initiative, as information, which may shock the community, can become public.
-Who backs the tortures committed by police officers and who works for closing the criminal cases against them?
-High-ranking officials, heads of power structures.
-Do you think those who applied torture to Amanov will be punished?
-Considering the resonance, caused by the information about application of tortures against Amanov and the fact that he is a famous person both in the country and in the world, I think they will be punished.
-Don't you think that doctors of the Nagiyev's hospital, who refused to help Amanov, after they learned where he was beaten, should also be punished?
-I am sure that they should be seriously punished, as doctors should be loyal to the Hippocratic Oath by ensuring medical aid to those, who need it. History is full of examples how doctors of armies, fighting against each others, provided medical aid to the wounded soldiers of the enemy. Let those who have forgotten about doctor's ethics and vocation of a doctor re-read these books!
/Day.Az/
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