Not Necessary in Azerbaijan to Set up Special Torture Group: Representative of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration

Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 April / corr. Trend K. Zarbaliyeva/ There is no need in Azerbaijan to set up a special group on torture, said Fuad Alasgarov, the Head of Department for the Work with Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration.

Alasgarov believes that there is no need for a special group in Azerbaijan.

Elchin Behbudov, the Head of Commission on Torture of Azerbaijan appealed to the President recently to set up a special working group to investigate practices of torture.

Thomas Hammerberg, the EU Commissar on human rights said in his interview with the media during his visit to Baku that there was a need for a special body to investigate any practices of torture.

The report of the Commission on Torture of Azerbaijan for 2007 stated that torture is frequently practiced by the police and Army. The report also stated that five people had died from being tortured in 2007, especially in the military units.

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