Elchin Behbudov: "The announcement made by Armenian soldier Ambartsum Asaturyan is false"

26 January 2008

"I think the announcement made by Armenian soldier Ambartsum Araturyan, captured on August 4 of 2007, and handed over to the Armenian side, is false", chairman of the Azerbaijani committee against torture Elchin Behbudov said commenting on A.Asaturyan's interview to Liberty Radio.

"This is another attempt of Armenians to spoil the image of Azerbaijan. I can also understand why Asaturyan did it because I can imagine the pressure and attacks this soldier was subjected to upon return to Armenia.

But I can bindingly state that Asaturyan was not subjected to torture. It would be enough to recall that two trespassers from Armenia, Roman Taryan and Artur Apresyan, kept in the local Ministry of National Security, have never carped at the housing conditions. At the same time, they announced that Armenian powers were training kamikazes from among orphans, teaching them Turkish and Azerbaijani, and that there are camps in Armenia, where Azerbaijani captives are kept.

Moreover, Armenian human rights activists confirmed during frequent conversations with me, that there are camps where Azerbaijani captives are kept and tortured, in the occupied lands of Nagorno Garabagh, as well.

Thus, Armenia would better bear responsibility for its own crimes, rather than blame the Azerbaijani government", Behbudov said.

 

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Elchin Behbudov: "Vidadi Mirzoyev's cellmate denies reports on torture"

31 May 2007

Chief of Azerbaijani Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov monitored Bayil detention place #1.


Committee chief told the APA the aim of the monitoring was to investigate the fact on death of Vidadi Mirzoyev.

"Mirzoyev's relatives told me that he had underwent torture and died. I met with his cellmates and his close relative Rafig Rustemov. They denied the reports. They said that Mirzoyev felt bad after he was brought to the cell. He was given first medical aid and then taken to Justice Ministry medical establishment," he said.

The Committee chief also met with other prisoners. They did not complain of their detention conditions.

"One of the prisoners Seymur Talibov said he underwent torture in Ganja city police office, and the other one Rustam Seyidov in Interior Ministry Department to combat organized crimes," he said.