Rights watchdog urges Baku to investigate death of opposition prisoner
Turan news agency, Baku
19 Feb 05
New York, 19 February: The Azerbaijani authorities have to conduct
a fair investigation into the death of prisoner Alqayit Maharramov,
20, who had been jailed for his involvement in the October 2003
developments [post-election riots], the international rights
organization Human Rights Watch has said.
Maharramov, who died in prison No 17, had been sentenced to three
years’ imprisonment. A total of 125 people have been sentenced for
protesting at falsifications in the [15 October 2003 presidential]
elections.
“This is the tragic end of the man and an unfavourable page in the
history of Azerbaijan,” Rachel Denber, acting executive director of
Human Rights Watch for Europe and Central Asia, said. “The Azerbaijani
authorities have to find out the causes [of Maharramov’s death]
and explain what happened to this young man,” she added.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
“Maharramov was one of the dozens of people convicted after October
2003 and his death reaffirms that the government should release or
reconsider the cases of those convicted in connection with those
developments,” Denber said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress