Jeyhun Balashov, a resident of Beylagan, has been in custody since February 2. His family members claim that he was tortured while detained at the Baku Pre-trial Detention Center in the Kurdakhani settlement.
According to his family, they were unable to make contact with Jeyhun Balashov for 11 days, which raised serious concerns about his well-being. Consequently, they persistently requested a meeting with him to verify his condition and confirm his safety.
Following their insistence, Jeyhun Balashov was allowed to meet his father, Arif Balashov, during which he shared distressing details of his alleged mistreatment. His father recalled: “He could hardly stand on his feet. They withheld food from him for several days, resulting in significant weight loss. Additionally, his body exhibited visible signs of torture, and he complained of severe pain in his arm, suspecting it might be broken. It is deeply troubling to witness such treatment of another human being, especially one with strong religious beliefs. We are at a loss for words.”
The Penitentiary Service has yet to respond to the family’s complaint regarding the alleged torture.
Jeyhun Balashov is facing charges related to the acquisition and possession of narcotics, an accusation that he and his family vehemently deny. According to his relatives, Balashov was taken into custody shortly after being separated from his son while they were working together, leading them to question the circumstances surrounding his arrest and raising suspicions of potential political motivations behind the charges.
At present, nearly 50 members of the Muslim Union Movement, including its chairman, Taleh Bagyrzadeh, are incarcerated. Many of them have been accused of drug-related offenses, but all deny any connection to such activities, asserting that their arrests were politically motivated.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs refutes the allegations of politically motivated arrests, asserting that the detained individuals were apprehended for specific crimes unrelated to their political affiliations.
