Defendants in "Nardaran case" claim being tortured

On August 24, the hearing of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes on the "Nardaran case" was held in tense atmosphere. The judge had to postpone the court hearing because of a verbal skirmish. The defendants accused policemen of use of torture, but they denied the charges.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 3, the trial was started in the case against Bagirzade and other 17 defendants. On August 17, the defendants claimed that they had given confessions under torture.

At the court hearing held on August 24, the trial questioned the defendants and Islam Agabekov, a staff member of the Chief Department for Combating Organized Crime (known as GUBOP), who was recognized as a victim. This was reported by Aiten Mamedova, an observer of the newspaper "Azadlyg".

Agil Ismayilov, one of the defendants, has claimed that Islam Agabekov threatened to torture him with a truncheon in case if he would reveal that the defendant "told a lie."

Guseinov has also stated that Islam Agabekov threatened all the arrestees with life imprisonment and voiced a death threaten against Guseinov personally. According to the deputy chairman of the movement "Muslim Unity", GUBOP staff members tortured him with electric current, put a plastic bag on his head and beat him.

Defendant Zakir Mustafaev has said that law enforcers threatened him to arrest his brother and demanded from him to confess to possession of a grenade.

Yalchin Imanov, an advocate of five defendants, has noted that the policemen, who were recognized as victims, did not actually suffer any damage.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.