Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 19 / Trend , K.Zarbaliyeva/
The Prosecutor's Office has conducted an investigation into the death of former chief editor of the "Tolishi sedo" newspaper, who had been sentenced to a 10-year imprisonment on charges of collaboration with the Iranian special services.
The Nizami District Prosecutor has launched an investigation into Chief Editor Novruzali Mammadov's death, The Head of the Public Relations Center for the Justice Ministry's Penitentiary Service, Mehman Sadigov, told Trend on Aug. 19.
"An independent investigation should be launched into the death of Novruzali Mammadov ,the chief editor of the 'Tolishi sedo' newspaper," the Journalists Protection Committee in New York reported.
Accused of collaborating with Iranian intelligence agencies and sentenced to a 10-year imprisonment, Mammadov died on Aug. 17 at the Penitentiary Service clinic. Preliminary conclusions suggest that cause of death was acute thrombosis of the brain.
"We were very concerned to hear that the imprisoned Novruzali Mammadov did not receive the necessary medical treatment, which might have caused his death," said Nina Ognianova, the Program Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia for the Journalist Protection Committee. "We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately make the autopsy results public." Mammadov's lawyer, Ramiz Mammadov, told Committee representatives that in recent months the prisoner's health had sharply deteriorated, but he had not received the appropriate treatment.
Other international human rights organizations have also expressed their concern in the death of the Tolishi sedo chief editor.
The London organization "Amnesty İnternational" argues that Mammadov was badly treated at the prison and that he did not receive food and water.
International organizations connect the chief editor's death with him not receiving the necessary medical care.
At the medical clinic, Mammadov received treatment in accordance with a diagnosis, the Head of the Justice Ministry Central Health Department, Rafael Mehdiyev, told Trend . The head of the department said that specialists from the country's leading medical institutions involved in the examination.
"On Aug. 17, at about 15.00 Mammadov's state sharply deteriorated. Besides our specialists, the country's leading doctors were involved in his examination. The chief editor died of acute thrombosis of the brain. The forensic examination has given a final report regarding this," Mehdiyev said.
On 28 July of this year, the chief editor was sent to the neurological department of the medical institution from Prison No. 15. Mammadov was experiencing osteochondrosis of the cervical and lumbar vertebrae and right plexus, gradually progressing second stage hypertension, the residual effects of acute obstructive bronchitis, chronic cholecystitis, cataracts at an embryonic stage, damage of the vitreous membrane, hypertonic angiosclerosis, nodular toxic goiter at the first stages and a prostate adenoma growth.
68-year old Mammadov was the head of department at the Linguistics Institute of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. He also led the Centre of Talish Culture. Accused of Articles 274 (treason) and 283 (incitement of national, racial or religious hatred), Mammadov was sentenced to 10 years and Guliev was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
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