E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.1
page 3
Introduction
1.
Following a request by the Special Rapporteur in November 1999, the Government of the
Republic of Azerbaijan invited him to undertake a fact-finding mission to the country within the
framework of his mandate. The objective of the visit, which took place from 7 to 15 May 2000,
was to enable the Special Rapporteur to collect first-hand information from a wide range of
contacts in order to better assess the situation regarding torture and ill-treatment in Azerbaijan
and thus to be in a position to recommend to the Government of Azerbaijan a number of
measures to be adopted with a view to putting an end to torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
2.
During his visit, the Special Rapporteur met the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
H. E. Mr. Heydar Aliyev; the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant-General Ramil Usubov; the
Minister of National Security, Mr. Namig Abbasov, as well as the head of the Investigation
Department, Mr. Mansurov; the Minister of Justice, Mr. Fikret Mammedov, as well as the
Deputy Minister of Justice and head of the department on the implementation of court decisions,
General Aydin Gasimov; the President of the Supreme Court, Ms. Sudaba Gasanova, as well as
the Chairwoman of the Appeal Court, Ms. Gulzar Rzayeva; the General Prosecutor,
Mr. Zakir Garalov, as well as the Deputy General Prosecutor, Mr. N. Allakhverdiyev; the
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Khalaf Khalafov; the Deputy Minister of Defence,
Colonel Mamed Beidullayev; the head of the Law Enforcement Bodies Department of the
Executive Administration of the President, Mr. Fuad Alesgerov; members of the Commission on
Human Rights of the Milli Majilis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, including its Chairman,
Mr. Kerim Kerimov; the head of the Baku City Police Department, Mr. Alyiev Magerram; the
first deputy head of the Baku City Police Department, Mr. Yashar Aliyev; the head of the
Department for Public Security of the Baku City Police Department, Mr. Javanshir Mamedov;
the head of the Department to Combat Organized Crime, Mr. Sevindik Safarov. The Special
Rapporteur also met members of the Human Rights Institute of the Academy of Sciences,
including its Director, Mr. Rovshan Mustafayev.
3.
During his stay in Baku, the Special Rapporteur visited the following places where
persons deprived of liberty are held: Gobustan Prison; three remand institutions: remand centre1
No. 1, also known as Bailov SIzo, remand centre No. 3, also known as Shuvelan SIzo, and the
detention facility of the Ministry of National Security; the four provisional detention wards
located in Baku, i.e. the Department to Combat Organized Crime, the Baku City Police
Department, also known as “Gorotdel”,2 the Narimanov Police Department and the detention
facility of the Ministry of National Security; finally, the Special Rapporteur visited the following
regional and local police offices: the Baku City Nizami district police office and its unit No. 25,
the Baku City Sabunçu district police office and its unit No. 12, Baku City Police unit No. 9 and
the Baku City head police receiver/distributor in Binagadi.
4.
The Special Rapporteur met persons who themselves or whose relatives had allegedly
been victims of torture or other forms of ill-treatment and he received verbal and/or written
information from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the following: Human
Rights Centre of Azerbaijan, the Trade Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan, the National
Committee of the Helsinski Citizens’ Assembly, the Human Rights Department of the Institute
for Peace and Democracy. Finally, he met lawyers from the Viza Advocates Law Firm.