According to lawyers from the Legal Aid Network, most of the individuals detained on December 2, 2024, were severely beaten. Some detainees are currently being held in medical facilities, suffering from extensive bruises and facial injuries, including fractured noses and jaws. All detainees in the clinic reportedly have concussions, multiple hematomas, and difficulty moving and speaking.
The detainees recount that violence by law enforcement officers occurred both during and after their arrests. At least six special forces officers reportedly beat them mercilessly inside minibuses, taking turns as they inflicted violence. Officers were allegedly overheard coordinating to break detainees' arms or legs, with instructions from their superiors to target the liver and head. During the beatings, detainees were spat on, cursed at, and subjected to degrading verbal abuse. They recall officers shouting phrases such as: “I’ll stick a baton in your ass,” “Did you like Gvaramia and Khazaradze?” and “You Europeans like f***ing in the a**”, “I’ll stick a baton in your back.”
The relentless violence left the minibus covered in blood. The raincoat of one detainee was soaked in blood during the beating. An older officer appeared to supervise the torture, ensuring that no one was fatally injured. Upon exiting the minibuses, detainees were forced to walk through a corridor of special forces officers before being handed over to patrol police vehicles.
Riot police reportedly stripped detainees of their shoes, forcing many to walk barefoot to medical facilities. Mobile phones were confiscated, and detainees were coerced into unlocking them.
We strongly condemn this inhuman and degrading treatment and call for an immediate and thorough investigation into these crimes.
The decision taken by the state in relation to Azerbaijani journalist constitutes a grave violation of human rights, including breaches of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.
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The Anti-Corruption Bureau was established in 2022 in response to recommendations issued by the European Commission, which called for strengthening the independence and functional capacity of anti-corruption institutions.