Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 5/ Trend , K. Zarbaliyeva/
Two soldiers said they were victims of hazing at a trial at the Baku Military Court.
Ali Jafarov said fellow soldier Famil Ganiyev demanded that he and another soldier be beaten. Mahmud Makhmedov confirmed that he had also been beaten at Ganiyev's request.
Ganiyev said he did not order the other soldiers to beat the men.
"We were playing a joke hitting them. All the soldiers were hitting each other," Ganiyev said.
He admitted that the two soldiers had been beaten, but denied being behind the hazing.
Agil Abbasov was also accused of beating the two soldiers. He confirmed Ganiyev's testimony that the soldiers were joking when they hit Jafarov and Makhmedov.
The accused Jabir Yusifov, Rahid Jafarov and Elkhan Almammadov said they regretted beating the two men.
A videotape showing soldiers being beaten in an Azerbaijani military hospital was posted on Internet. The clip was filmed at the Defense Ministry's Alat Military Hospital in February.
The Military Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit on misconduct against the soldiers.
Azerbaijani ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova said control over the army must be strengthened to prevent bullying and beatings.
"Public control must be exercised over military units and prisons," she said earlier.
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