Contrary to the ECHR ruling, arrested oppositionist in Azerbaijan not provided with serious medical care
The case of Gubad Ibadoglu
Opposition politician and scientist-economist Gubad Ibadoglu, who has been imprisoned in Azerbaijan for more than two months, has difficulty moving because of health problems. His brother Galib Bayramov wrote about it on his Facebook page.
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“We continue to be concerned about my brother’s health. In particular, our family is seriously concerned about his rising blood sugar levels, the progression of his aortic aneurysm, and the ongoing pain in his spine.
Even before his arrest, doctors had sent Gubad for physiotherapy because of his spinal problems. However, due to his arrest, the procedure could not be carried out. He takes painkillers three times a day because he suffers from severe pain,” Bayramov said.
According to him, on September 3, Gubad’s blood sugar level was 380 mg/dl, and today it is 334 mg/dl. The upper limit of the norm is 140 units.
Bayramov also said that the most serious health problem is related to his heart. He reminded that even the European Court of Human Rights made a decision and imposed obligations on the Azerbaijani government on September 20. According to this decision, Gubad should be examined more seriously and inform the European Court about the result:
“Aortic aneurysm is a very serious condition. Thus, the judgment of the European Court of Justice indicates that he should be thoroughly examined. If necessary, he should be taken to an appropriate clinic for specialized examination. However, no steps have been taken since the decision was made on September 20,” Bayramov told Meydan TV.
According to Galib, who spoke to his brother by phone on October 3, Gubad’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels remain as high as before. However, doctors who examined him in the Baku pre-trial detention center say his blood pressure is normal.
When Gubad’s complaint was considered in Narimanov District Court, he stated that after the doctors in the pre-trial detention center measured his blood pressure, he measured it again in his cell with his personal blood pressure meter, and there was a sharp difference between the results:
“Every time the doctors in the pre-trial detention center measure his blood pressure, they claim that his blood pressure is 110 over 70 or 120 over 80. However, the blood pressure of a person with such a heart problem cannot be normal. When he measures himself, his blood pressure is off the charts. I spoke to him yesterday (October 3) and he said his blood sugar level is also high – 370 units.”
The Narimanov District Court of Baku did not satisfy the complaint. The Chief Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice informed that all necessary examinations were conducted and he was provided with medical assistance.
This decision of the court will be appealed.
What happened?
On July 23, Gubad Ibadoglu, chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Movement, was detained by officers of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime. He was charged under Article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code (if an organized group committed the manufacture, acquisition or sale of counterfeit money or securities).
According to information released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one of the four people detained in the course of a special operation related to FETÖ (an organization declared terrorist in Turkey, whose head, Fathullah Gülen, is a preacher living in Pennsylvania, USA), had links with Ibadoglu which led to his prosecution.
Searches were carried out in his office, apartment, and dacha. On July 24, the Narimanov District Court of Baku city sentenced the opposition politician to three months and 26 days of arrest.
Ibadoglu pleads not guilty and links his arrest to political activities.
Two weeks later, Turkish law enforcement officers detained and handed over to the Azerbaijani government another economist, Fazil Qasimov, who lives and works in Istanbul. According to official information, he was arrested in the case of Gubad Ibadoglu and he was also charged with a similar charge under article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Such influential international structures as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights House, and a number of Western and European embassies appealed to the Azerbaijani government to release Ibadoglu.
