The Institute for Peace and Democracy, an Azerbaijani organization that aims to promote peace and protect human rights, has published a statement on the current situation of ‘prisoners of conscience’ in Azerbaijan in light of the recent alleged ‘suicide’ of blogger Mehman Galandarov.
You can read the full statement below.
Statement of Institute for Peace and Democracy
“Prisoners of Conscience” in Azerbaijan are being tortured and killed.
According to mass media publications on April 28, 2017, “prisoner of conscience” Mehman Galandarov committed suicide by using his bed sheet to hang himself in his cell, in Baku Investigative Prison No. 1, Kurdakhany.
A former teacher of philosophy, sociology and political science, Mehman Galandarov was arrested on February 7, 2017. According to information received by the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Galandarov was arrested after he posted on his personal Facebook account his words of support to “prisoner of conscience” Qiyas Bayramov.
Arrests related to the open criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities via social networks such as Facebook are gradually developing a systematic character. The most popular, trumped-up accusation under which dissidents and bloggers are detained is “the possession and distribution of narcotics”.
The same trumped up accusation was used against Mehman Galandarov to take him into custody. The same day, Nasimi District Court decided to imprison Mr. Galandarov for a period of 3 months during the investigation period.
The Institute for Peace and Democracy is extremely concerned and shocked with the news of Galandarov’s death. The ruling authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan regularly prosecutes, arrests, threatens and kills dissidents – those active in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
Institute for Peace and Democracy calls upon international human rights organizations, the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights, Commissioner for Human Rights at Council of Europe, Members States at Council of Europe; United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to demand from Azerbaijani authorities a detailed and transparent investigation on Mr. Galandarov’s death.
The collaboration of the European Union with the authoritarian Azerbaijani regime – that suppresses the rights and freedom of its own citizens, and subjects dissidents to tortures and kills with torture – is slowly leading the development of Azerbaijan along the “Syrian way…”
