ALLEGED COUP PLOT DETAINEES TRANSFERRED TO STATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 001109

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: ALLEGED COUP PLOT DETAINEES TRANSFERRED TO STATE
MEDICAL FACILITIES

REF: BAKU 839

Classified By: ACTING DCM JOAN POLASCHIK PER 1.4(B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Detained former minister Farhad Aliyev and
former presidential aide Akif Muradverdiyev were transferred
out of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) detention
facility into separate state-run medical facilities operated
by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) over the past week,
reportedly due to a decline in their health. According to his
lawyer, Aliyev, who suffers from a pre-existing cardiac
condition, has begun a second hunger strike to protest his
transfer from the MNS detention facility. Separately, former
minister Ali Insanov was reported to have suffered from a
heart attack. His attorney denied this report, but said that
Insanov is not being given access to adequate medical
attention. Human rights activists who have visited the group
in detention report that Aliyev and Muradverdiyev are getting
appropriate medical treatment. They are more worried about
Insanov, whose condition reportedly had steadily deteriorated
in detention. ICRC officials report that, in their view, the
detainees continue to receive adequate access to medical
treatment. ICRC plans to visit the detainees at their
respective locations next week. END SUMMARY

ALIYEV ON SECOND HUNGER STRIKE
--------------


2. (C) According to former Minister of Economic Development
Farhad Aliyev's lawyer, Aliyev is on a hunger strike to
protest his July 22 transfer from MNS detention to an MOJ
medical facility. Aliyev's lawyer told Emboffs that Aliyev
said he had been told that he was being taken to a State
Border Service medical facility - considered to be better
equipped than other facilities - and not the MOJ clinic. His
lawyers said they were against the transfer, as they wanted
Aliyev to be taken to a specialized cardio-pulmonary
hospital. The lawyer alleges that the MOJ medical facility
does not have a cardiology department, and that the only
cardiologist on staff is currently on vacation. (The ICRC
will visit the facility early next week and report its
assessment.)


3. (C) Aliyev's previous 48-hour hunger strike took place at
the beginning of July; he then announced through his lawyers
that he would strike again to protest his continued pre-trial
detention and draw attention to his case. At that time,
Aliyev's attorney reported that he was "determined to starve
to death." Aliyev suffers from pre-existing heart problems
and high blood pressure, which his lawyers argue have
worsened over the course of his nine month detention. Human
rights monitor Elchin Behbudov visited Aliyev in detention on
June 30 and told Emboffs that he found Aliyev to be in
"normal" condition at that time.

INSANOV AND MURADVERDIYEV'S HEALTH POOR
--------------


4. (C) Press reports during the week of July 17 alleged that
Ali Insanov, jailed former Minister of Health, had suffered
from a heart attack, with one newspaper alleging (wrongly)
that he had died. Insanov's attorney denied the press
reports, but argued that Insanov is not being given access to
adequate medical attention. Behbudov also visited Insanov on
June 30, and reported that at that time, he was in very poor
health.


5. (C) Former presidential aide Akif Muradverdiyev is also
reported to be in poor health. Press reports allege that
Muradverdiyev suffered from a mild stroke. We have not yet
received independent confirmation of the veracity of this
report. Muradverdiyev is now being treated at an MOJ medical
clinic.

ICRC: GOAJ GRANTING ADEQUATE MEDICAL ACCESS
--------------


6. (C) ICRC Chief of Mission Mary Werntz (strictly protect)
told Poloff July 26 that the ICRC believed the GOAJ was
providing the detainees with adequate access to medical
treatment. Werntz added that the GOAJ appeared to be
facilitating the detainees' access to medical treatment at a
level surpassing the care accorded an ordinary citizen in
pre-trial detention. However, Wernts noted that the quality
of state-provided medical care did not meet western
standards. She added that ICRC investigators would visit the
medical facilities and the MNS early next week and apprise us
of their findings.

COMMENT
--------------

BAKU 00001109 002 OF 002




7. (C) COMMENT: Based on information provided by the ICRC and
independent human rights monitors, we have no reason to
believe the GOAJ is not providing appropriate medical care to
the detainees. We continue to urge the GOAJ to respect all
detainees' human rights and abide by international standards
for due process in the pre-trial investigation and detention
of the alleged coup plotters.
DERSE