November 29, 2024 - October Surprise 2016 - octobersurprise2016.org

Fazil Gasimov, an Azerbaijani doctoral student at Istanbul University who was detained in Turkey in August 2023 and later extradited to Azerbaijan, has reportedly been subjected to severe torture while in custody, according to Rufat Safarov, executive director of the “Defence Line” human rights organization.

Speaking to Meydan TV, Safarov detailed the allegations, highlighting escalating abuse at the Treatment Facility of Azerbaijan’s Penitentiary Service.

Safarov claims Gasimov was tortured on November 16 after attempting to communicate in English with his family during a monitored phone call. According to Safarov, Gasimov implored his family to raise awareness about his plight, leading authorities to cut the call short and subsequently retaliate against him. “They tore his clothes, dragged him away, and tortured him,” Safarov alleged, identifying Major Jalal Alizadeh as one of the perpetrators.

A day later, Gasimov was reportedly taken to a meeting room with lawyers, where his hands and feet were bound, and attempts were made to forcibly shave his head. Protesting loudly, Gasimov reportedly caused such a commotion that nearby prisoners and staff gathered. The incident allegedly ended with Gasimov bleeding heavily from the nose, prompting the intervention of a doctor before he was returned to his cell.

The rights defender also reported that other prisoners who showed solidarity with Gasimov have faced punitive measures, including the withdrawal of their medical treatment and their return to harsher detention conditions. Gasimov, who has been on a hunger strike for over five months, was eventually transferred back to the Kurdakhani Pre-Trial Detention Center in Baku. Safarov alleged that Gasimov was beaten and stripped of written petitions and personal notes during the transfer, leaving him in a weakened state.

Safarov has urged Azerbaijan’s Ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva, to intervene, emphasizing the severity of Gasimov’s deteriorating health and the need to address ongoing instances of alleged torture. He also accused Azerbaijani authorities of systematically targeting Gasimov, describing his treatment as part of a broader campaign of inhumane practices. “This is a person who could have contributed greatly to society, yet his career, health, and dignity have been destroyed,” Safarov said, recounting earlier allegations of electric shocks, physical humiliation, and coercion into providing false testimony against economist Gubad Ibadoglu.

Gasimov and Ibadoglu were charged under Article 204.3.1 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, and accused of circulating counterfeit currency. Authorities allege that $40,000 in cash, some of it counterfeit, was discovered in Ibadoglu’s office, purportedly brought from Turkey. Both men have denied the charges, with Ibadoglu claiming the evidence was planted and his detention politically motivated. While Ibadoglu was released from prison in April 2024 and placed under house arrest, his party, the Azerbaijan Democracy and Welfare Party, was effectively suspended weeks later, allegedly due to bureaucratic hurdles in its registration.

The Penitentiary Service has denied the allegations of torture, maintaining that all detainees’ legal rights are upheld. Gasimov’s case has drawn international attention to the state of human rights in Azerbaijan, with advocacy groups warning of a pattern of abuse against political dissidents, academics, and activists.

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