The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Azerbaijan.
According to the information received, on December 15, 2009, Messrs. Ilgar Nasibov and Vafadar Eyvazov were attacked, verbally insulted and seriously beaten by a group of 50 sport students and professors from the Nakhchivan State University on the campus of the university. Messrs. Ilgar Nasibov and Vafadar Eyvazov were trying to conduct an opinion poll in the framework of the project "Struggle against corruption - application of anti-corruption mechanism in the high schools of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic". The group urged the two human rights defenders to leave the University campus and they refused. The students then dragged out the two human rights defenders and beat them heavily.
Policemen who came at the scene of incident did not register the event and advised to appeal to the city police directorate. The officers of the city police directorate did not react and advised to appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where their attempt to lodge a complaint was rejected because of ended working time.
Messrs. Ilgar Nasibov and Vafadar Eyvazov suffer from rib fractures caused by heavy injuries on the abdominal cavity and spine. According to the information received, the doctors refused to treat them, though both were hospitalised: both doctors were intimidated by local officials to stay away from providing medical help to the activists.
The Observatory urges the authorities of Azerbaijan to order a thorough and impartial investigation into this attack in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided by the law. The Observatory further calls upon the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CoE) to act in accordance with the CoE Declaration on Human Rights Defenders[1], and to urge the Republic of Azerbaijan to comply with its duties under the terms of the above-mentioned Declaration and to abide by the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities in Azerbaijan, urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Messrs. Ilgar Nasibov and Vafadar Eyvazov as well as of all human rights defenders in Azerbaijan;
ii. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into Mr. Ilgar Nasibov and Mr. Vafadar’s attack in order to identify all those responsible, bring them before a civil, competent and impartial tribunal and apply to them the penal sanctions provided by the law;
iii. Put an end to the harassment against all human rights defenders in Azerbaijan;
iv. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", and Article 12.2, which provides that the State shall "take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of his or her rights";
v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Azerbaijan.
Addresses:
· Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 19 Istiqlaliyyat St., Baku AZ1066, Azerbaijan, Fax: +994 12 492 06 25, +994 412 92 28 68, E-mail: office@apparat.gov.az, president@gov.az, root@lider.baku.az
· Prosecutor’s Office, 7 Nigar Rafibeyli St., Baku, Azerbaijan, Fax: +994 12 492 06 82, +994 12 492 26 63, E-mail: prosec@azeri.com
· Minister of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijani Republic, Lt.-Gen. Ramil Usubov, Fax: + 994 12 492 45 90
· Minister of Justice in Azerbaijan, Prospekt Stroitelej, 1 Baku Azerbaijan, e-mail: contact@justice.gov.az, Tel (99412) 430 01 16, Fax + 99412 430 09 81
· Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in Geneva, Route des Fayards 237, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland, E-mail: geneva@mission.mfa.gov.az, Fax: +4122 901 18 44
· Azerbaijani Embassy in Brussels, Avenue Moliere, 464, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 345 26 60, Fax: +32 2 345 91 85
Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Azerbaijan in your respective country as well as to the EU diplomatic missions or embassies in Azerbaijan.
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