In Nakhichevan, civil society activists state violation of their rights

In the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) of Azerbaijan, three activists of the civil society state encroachment on their right to fair trial, since local law enforcers refused to accept their complaint of beating.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the activists were beaten on December 15 in the context of working in the project of the local Resource Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.

Malakhat Nasibova, a journalist and head of the Resource Centre, wife of Ilgar Nasibov, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the city police of Nakhichevan had recommended them to complain to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the NAR.

"There, they also refused to listen to us, same as at the prosecutor's office," Ms Nasibova said. According to her version, the local forensic medical experts also refused to examine the victims.

Since medical institutions had in fact refused to render medical aid, the beaten activists are treated at home. According to Malakhat Nasibova, both the local medical-legal investigation and the city hospital refused to make x-ray pictures. At the hospital, doctors only visually examined the victims and defined ' by eye' that they had no fractures, just bruises." The doctors refused to give an official conclusion.

Ilgar Nasibov and Eivazov suffer from strong pains after received kicks in the belly, head and ribs. Nasibov has problems with breathing. Abbasov feels more or less normal, as he did not receive any direct blows.

After refusal of regional law enforcers to investigate the fact of beating, the human rights activists addressed for help to the Institute of Media Rights (IMR). This human rights entity was going to send official requests on the incident to the MIA and State Office of Public Prosecutor of Azerbaijan.