Ulviyya Ali, a journalist detained as part of the “Meydan TV case”, has sent a letter from Baku Detention Center describing serious irregularities in how her complaint of police violence is being handled.
Ali reports that on May 7, she was subjected to violence and threats of rape by three officers of the Baku City Police Department after refusing to provide passwords to her computer and phones. Despite her lawyers immediately filing complaints and her family contacting the Ombudsman’s office, no meaningful investigation has taken place.
“Twenty-three days after the incident, an investigator and an expert finally visited me — without proper equipment for a medical examination, just a notebook to record my account,” Ali writes. She noted that the delay alone constitutes a violation of the golden standard of promptness in investigating allegations of violence.
Ali further highlights that another female detainee who reported police violence the same day received a swift rejection of her complaint, while hers remains unanswered.
Ali draws attention to the case of Ahmed Mammadli, founder of “Yoldash Media,” detained the same day, who also alleged police violence and whose visible injuries were allowed to fade without timely documentation.
“What happened to Ahmed Mammadli and me shows how police brutality and the failure to investigate it are systematic human rights violations in Azerbaijan. We are among the ‘privileged’ who can publicize what we suffered — imagine those whose voices are not heard.”
Ali concludes that the state not only fails to prevent mistreatment but has become the very instigator of systemic violence.
Azərbaycan dili 
English (UK)