CBN, 21 February, 2005

Inmates who were involved in a riot in Prison No. 11 on the outskirts of Baku last week 'will be punished', said the head of the institution, Ogtay Hasanov. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway.

The head of the presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev said that the reasons of the revolt would be researched by a commission comprised of representatives of the law enforcement agencies.

More than 100 prisoners at the prison rioted on Feb. 15, demanding the dismissal of the head of the facility and direct talks with the Minister of Justice Fikret Mammadov. The prisoners broke out onto the roof of the three-storey jail and shouted their demands. Hasanov said that he was ready to write a letter of resignation, but the demands of the prisoners were not grounded. "However, we cannot do everything that prisoners demand. I do not know the true reason for the protest action, but I do not exclude that it might have been caused by them because they wanted to have an "obshak" (prisoner's leader). We did not allow them to choose an 'obshak'," Hasanov said.

"Demands forwarded by the prisoners were unfounded and will not be fulfilled," the deputy head of the Chief Department for Execution of Court Decisions of the Ministry of Justice Natig Talibov said.

Authorities took action to quell the riot by peaceful means bringing relatives of those prisoners involved to the prison to persuade them to stop their action.

Interior troops were brought to the area and readied for riot dispersal duties as additional psychological pressure on the prisoners. Repeated shots and explosions could be heard coming from the territory of the prison. Water hoses were trained on the roof-top rioters. Special riot police broke up the prison protest action shooting in the air and spraying water.

A majority of the prisoners decided to stop their protest action but those left on the roof were throwing pieces of slate at the law enforcers.

According to official sources, eight policemen and three prisoners were injured during the incident.

"The reason of the revolt in Prison No. 11 was an attempt by the prisoners to form an "obshak". Approximately 100 people took part in revolt, with 800 prisoners refusing to support them. The first group began the revolt after the prison administration refused to fulfil their demands for the selection ofa leader. The instigators of the "obshak" move were moved into a punishment cell. Around a hundred prisoners responded by climbing up on the roof and started a revolt," ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova said.

The head of the prison said that part of the prisoners involved in the incident would be transferred to other correctional facilities, but he did not explain the reason.

The relatives of the prisoners due to be moved blocked the access road with cars in protest against there family members being taken to other jails. The relatives said they were concerned about their fate and were afraid that they could be punished illegally. However, the relatives were forced back from the road and five cars with prisoners left the prison for an unknown destination.

The Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs released a statement on the evening on Feb. 16 in connection with the incident saying that the revolt was ungrounded and inmates did self-willing choosing the "obshak".

Ombudsman Suleymanova and the human rights campaigner Murad Saddedinov called on the Azeri authorities to reform the penitentiary system and 'draw conclusions' from this incident.

"I believe that the state should treat the penitentiary system more seriously. We inherited prisons from Soviet times. We should build new facilities and allocate sufficient funds to feed the inmates," Sadeddinov said.