Incident occurs during Ombudsman's meeting with Gobustan lifers

During the meeting wit Ilham and Emin Bakgayev brothers, who were sentenced for "Zagatala case", the prison officers tried to prevent the prisoners' giving an application to the Ombudsman.

The families of the lifers told that the prison officers took the application and other documents from the brothers.

Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova assessed this as violation of human rights and freedoms and insisted on not leaving the prison until she gets these documents. At last, the ombudsman could get the documents addressed to her.

The prisoners' families also say that Gobustan lifer Intigam Gayibov, who twice attempted to suicide in June, though tried to write to the general public prosecutor, the prison officers prevented.

The lifers claim that if the letter had reached the general public prosecutor and justice minister on time, Kamandar Aslanov would not have committed suicide.

Ombudsman’s Office sector director Fazail Hasanov refuted the report that the lifers had problems in giving their applications to the Ombudsman on 17 August.

"How can the prison chief possible not allow the Ombudsman? It is impossible," he said.

He also said in their application, Bakgayev brothers complained of lacks of doctors and medicine in the prison.

"The application was written on 4 May. Their problems had been solved by our meeting. There are seven doctors in the prison," Hasanov said.

Gobustan prison chief Sedaget Agayev told the APA any letter written in the prison should be examined before it reaches the address.

"After examining that letter, I myself presented it to Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova," he said.

Agayev also noted that such letters are written by forces aiming to strain the situation in the prison, APA reports.