International antitorture body urges Azeri authorities to free youth
leader
Turan news agency, Baku
26 Aug 05
Geneva, 25 August: The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) has
issued a statement calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to end the
persecution of activists of the Yeni Fikir [New Thought] youth
movement and members of their families.
The statement says that Yeni Fikir leader Ruslan Basirli was arrested
on 3 August on charges of a coup attempt. The Prosecutor’s Office says
that Basirli wanted the Armenian special services, whose
representatives he allegedly met in Tbilisi on 28-29 July, to be
involved in his attempt.
Basirli could not meet his lawyer for two days after the arrest. After
that, members of his family were persecuted. His father was sacked
from a school and crowds threw stones at their house in the town of
Zardab [central Azerbaijan]. Basirli’s uncle was also fired from the
tax inspection department of [central Azerbaijani district of] Goycay
on 8 August.
[Passage omitted: unconfirmed reports of torture against a Yeni Fikir
member] “The OMCT is seriously concerned over the physical and
psychological condition of Ruslan Basirli and his family, as well as
the condition of Sarvan Sarxanov [who was allegedly beaten up at the
Prosecutor-General’s Office]. The organization is also concerned about
the general atmosphere of persecution against members of Yeni Fikir”,
the statement says.
[Passage omitted: another Yeni Fikir member has been expelled from
university] The OMCT has appealed to the international community in
connection with the situation in order to protest against the
Azerbaijani authorities and urge them to ensure decent physical and
psychological conditions for Basirli, his family and Sarvan Sarxanov.
The statement urges Basirli’s immediate release on the grounds that
the charges against him are illegal. It also called for a fair
investigation and asked to ensure Basirli’s rights and freedoms if
there are such charges.