On July 20th, a protest was held in front of the Attorney General’s office in Baku. Each of the protest participants had their own story to tell. Some have been coming to the Attorney General for years, and others have already lost hope to achieve anything from within government structures. Others have come here as a last resort. Many of them have travelled long distances to get here.
Two of the participants came to protest against a cafe illegally being built in front of their yard: “We’ve come from Lankaran. We protested against the cafe being built in front of our yard, and as a result, we were attacked by a mob of 35 people. They injured my family, and continued to attack us even in front of the police. My husband was taken to the hospital for his injuries, where he stayed for 15 days. But when he was released, the hospital refused to give us a medical report.”
The couple was able to receive a medical report attesting to a spinal fracture only from the Pathological Anatomy Center.
Despite their appeals, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Public Prosecutor’s Office have remained silent.
Tarana Khanalizada says her son was illegally arrested and tortured in prison:
“They have removed my son’s diseased eye. He cannot see anymore. They have electrocuted him. How illegal is this? I have brought up my son with great difficulty, and now they have blinded him. He is in a terrible state, he is crawling. They are torturing him to make him confess to murder”.
Tarana says she has met with Baku city prosecutor, Aziz Seyidov, 20 times. The prosecutor said they would look into her complaint, but nothing has happened.
Now she is looking for help from the Attorney General’s office.
Isa Isayev’s daughter was hit by the car of MP Faraj Guliyev on November 14th, 2012:
“My daughter has a Group Two disability, after she sustained heavily bodily and brain injuries. It is all too clear who the victim in this case is. But Shafayat Imanov and others are deliberately managing this criminal case in such a way, so they can close it soon.”
Holding a photo of her bruised arm, Roza Humbatova is also among the protestors:
”I bought a plot of land with a one – room house in 2013. In March of 2015, the property was occupied by Chief Rafiq Abbasov, investigator Vugar Shabandiyev, Baku city prosecutor Aziz Seyidov and Zeynal Nagdaliyev from the President’s Office. I found them cutting down the trees on my property. I asked them what they were doing. They then took my bag and my keys from me. They beat me up, and entered the house. The investigation has been ongoing ever since.”
Flora Aljanova says her brother was accused of a crime he didn’t commit:
“We have come here to the prosecutor’s office because a bogus criminal case was opened against my brother by prosecutor Fakhri Babazade and Tahir Ismayilov. There is no evidence at hand.”
Yelena Yusubova stated that she had been appealing to the Yasamal District Prosector’s Office for the last three years, but that no one has taken into account her complaints:
“They are hurting me, taking me to Sabayil region police station and threatening me there. Why? My rights have been violated and I am demanding my rights. Yasamal Region Executive Authorities and “Gilan” Holding Management have taken my land. The Attorney General’s office is not even looking at my complaint. They are not giving me fair compensation for my land.”
Aliya Tamrazova says she knows this building very well. She says she has been coming to this building almost every day to complain for the last 6 years, just like going to work:
“I’ve been illegally placed in a psychiatric hospital twice. I’ve been kidnapped from the street and taken there. The Ministry of Emergency Situations and Customs Committee staff did this to me. They insulted me many times here. They called me a hooligan and a thief, gave me the finger.”
Gulnara Najafova’s plot outside the five – story building where she lives was taken from her based on fake documents:
“Who occupied the common land we were using? Former chief of Salyan region Executive Authority Taleh Karimov’s sister-in-law’s husband Huseyn Rzayev is constructing something there. He is also a relative of Supreme Court Chief Ramiz Rzayev. I have addressed the Attorney General’s Office many times. I was not allowed to meet with Zakir Garalov.”
Madina Hajaliyeva says she has been left out on the street with four children:
“The real estate agent cheated them, and they have been left without a house. He refuses to return their money, and he certainly won’t buy them a house. She has been stranded in the streets for 5 years, where sleeps with her four children. They have the right to alimony, but cannot get it. I have met with Zakir Garalov five times. Nobody looks at this case.”
