Jailed Azeri ex-minister on hunger strike over rights violations

Turan news agency
6 Jul 06

Baku, 6 July: The former minister of economic development, Farhad
Aliyev, was forced to resort to an extreme measure and start a 48-hour
hunger strike since he has no other possibilities to protect his
rights, the ex-minister’s lawyer, Elton Quliyev, said during a news
conference at the International Press Centre today.

He said that the hunger strike started on the night of 6 July.
According to the lawyer, no investigative actions have been taken
with regard to Farhad Aliyev during the nine months of his arrest.
Quliyev denied the accusations of the Prosecutor-General’s Office
that the former minister had illegally privatized 18 enterprises.

Commenting on accusations of Aliyev’s involvement in a coup attempt,
the lawyer said that this circumstance "inevitably" lends the case a
political nature and gives us grounds to regard the former minister
as a political prisoner.

Quliyev said that Aliyev wants the problem to be resolved inside
the country, which is why he has not appealed to the European Court
of Human Rights. Quliyev pointed out that the investigation has not
provided evidence regarding any of the charges.

Lawyer Adil Ismayilov said that in Azerbaijani realities, lawyers
do not have mechanisms of influencing the investigation. Ismayilov
pointed out that Aliyev is trying to use the hunger strike to attract
attention to the violation of his rights and deliberate delays in
the investigation.

Farhad Aliyev was arrested on 19 October 2005. He is charged with a
coup attempt, organizing mass disturbances and abusing power.