“Ilgar and I started a family 16 years ago. Azerbaijan became the member of the Council of Europe the same year. Throughout this time I have had to visit my husband in prison for more than a quarter of times. I do not ask to myself why I married a political figure but ask the PACE why Azerbaijan was allowed to enter the Council of Europe”, announced the leader of the “Republican alternative” (ReAl) movement, Ilgar Mammadov’s wife – Vafa Mammadova.
Let us note that during the discussion held off the plenary sessions of the Spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ms. Mammadova showed her concern that her husband is imprisoned for already 4 years and 3 months. According to her, all in the Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, even the Secretary General of the CE have recognized Ilgar Mammadov as a political prisoner.
Referring to the decisions concerning Mammadov’s complaint made by the ECHR, Vafa Mammadova announced: “There was clearly stated in the first decision that the authorities pursue Ilgar for political purposes. Those motives have not ceased since 2013.” Ms. Mammadova assured us that her husband knows that he has the support of a set of PACE delegations and is personally grateful to the PACE Secretary General.
Let us mention that the discussion has been organized by the PACE delegate Anne Brasseur. After the discussion we asked Vafa Mammadova whether the jail conditions of her husband were improved, inasmuch as a few months ago he was living in unfavorable conditions not compatible with his health. Ms. Mammadova refused to give an interview, her guards substantiated her rejection with the implication that Ms. Mammadova, giving an interview to the Armenian media, will put her security under threat.
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Ilgar Mammadov’s friend Emin Huseynov informed Aravot.am that the prison conditions of Mammadov remain unfavorable. His illness has worsened instead: “Ilgar’s osteochondrosis has worsened and developed. Medical service is not provided in prison. Meanwhile, such illness requires a stationary treatment in certain conditions. He needs a recovery treatment which enables to provide an efficient treatment in case of being in the penitentiary.”
Emin Huseynov alerted that even the elementary conditions are not provided in prison: “There is not even a chair with a back on which Ilgar can sit. They say such chair is not accepted in prison. And Ilgar cannot sit on a chair without back because of his illness. In a short, they put pressure on the person through damaging his health. Ilgar Mammadov was one of the most famous opposition figures and the sharpest critic of the authorities.”
Emin Huseynov mentioned that Azerbaijani authorities were urged to set Ilgar Mammadov free: the Committee of Ministers organized weekly discussions on that issue, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe deals with this issue personally: “The issue is that the Azerbaijani authorities do not manifest political will to solve the problem. Now Mammadov waits for the second decision of the ECHR.”
Emin Huseynov informed that Mammadov’s wife and daughter have the opportunity to visit him every 2 weeks, and to call him weekly. However, his friends, journalists and others do not have similar rights.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
