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Human rights defenders accuse each other

29 December 2008 16:35 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramil Mammadli â€“ APA. â€œI can not understand whether Chingiz Ganizadeh is a human rights defender or the defender of government agencies,â€ chief of Azerbaijani Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov told APA. Behbudov said he could not understand the efforts of chairman of Democracy and Human Rights Committee Chingiz Ganizadeh to cast shadow on the annual report on tortures prepared by the committee.
â€œIn general, the committee prepares reports basing on appeals. According to the international practice, the points covered by the report should be investigated by the related bodies. Unfortunately, I receive one sentence in response to my appeals â€˜no fact of torture was provedâ€™.
The committee chief said he could not understand Ganizadehâ€™s views against the report in media.
â€œIf it was necessary those suffering from torture would appeal to Chingiz Ganizadeh not to me. His position is vague for me,â€ he said.
Chairman of Democracy and Human Rights Committee Chingiz Ganizadeh told APA that he was ready for the debate in media, television.
â€œTo be a human rights defender does not mean to find out critical points, exaggerate everything and create an image for yourself. I think a human rights defender should prevent a happening. I receive tens of applicants every day. No other human rights defender contacts law enforcement bodies and justice bodies in Azerbaijan,â€ he said.
Ganizadeh said such statements damaged the cooperation of human rights defenders with the law enforcement bodies in protecting human rights.
â€œElchin Behbudovâ€™s annual report is not true. He preferred to express his individual opinion. I am ready to talk to Elchin Behbudov, if he wants to debate,â€ he said.
Chingiz Ganizadeh accused Behbudov of working for his profit.
â€œThere are facts that Elchin Behbudov goes to jails at the request of rich families and meet with their relatives. There are people who have legal and moral rights to be released, but Elchin Behbudov do not defend them,â€ he said/
He said other human rights defenders also consider that Behbudov exaggerate the figures.
The report drawn up by the Azerbaijani Committee against Torture writes that 3 died in the aftermath of tortures and over 80 underwent torture by law enforcement bodies in Azerbaijan.