FARHAD ALIYEV'S HEALTH SEEMINGLY STABLE, NO SIGNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000154 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM AJ SUBJECT: FARHAD ALIYEV'S HEALTH SEEMINGLY STABLE, NO SIGNS OF HEART ATTACK REF: BAKU 98 Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF JOAN POLASCHIK PER 1.4(B,D). ¶1. (C) More than two weeks since jailed former Minister of Economic Development Farhad Aliyev's February 5 transfer to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Boyuk Shore medical facility (reftel),there is no evidence that he suffered a heart attack. ICRC Protection Coordinator Susana Lopez (strictly protect) confirmed that an ICRC delegation visited Aliyev in detention at the Ministry of National Security (MNS) on February 5, after which the GOAJ transferred Aliyev to the medical facility. As of February 20, Lopez could not confirm that Aliyev had suffered a heart attack; in fact, she said ICRC believed him to be "okay." According to Lopez, the ICRC plans to visit Aliyev at the medical facility within the next few days. ICRC has previously reported that Aliyev was receiving better medical care than average Azerbaijani prisoners. ¶2. (C) Head of the Azerbaijan Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov said that he visited Aliyev at the medical facility on February 8. According to Behbudov, Aliyev looked "normal." He said that the former minister's doctors told him Aliyev had not suffered a heart attack. While Behbudov believed that the physicians ran tests on Aliyev to determine whether he had a heart attack, he did not see the test results. During his visit, Behbudov said Aliyev had complained that the GOAJ would not permit an independent physician to examine him. Behbudov raised the issue with the medical facility's managers, and reported that they had no problem with such an examination. (COMMENT: The GOAJ's decision to allow Behbudov to visit Aliyev on February 8 is positive; per his agreement with the GOAJ, Behbudov is normally permitted to visit him once per month. His previous visit to Aliyev was on February 2.) ¶3. (C) Deputy Minister of Justice Nazim Alekbarov, who oversees the MOJ penitentiary service, including the medical facility, said February 12 that Aliyev had undergone two thorough medical examinations and that "nothing serious was found." Alekbarov said he "personally allowed any doctors to examine Aliyev" and said that Aliyev's family and attorneys also had been allowed to visit. According to Alekbarov, Aliyev's health is stable, and he is in a room with three other patients. He did not know how much longer Aliyev would remain at the medical facility, adding that the decision would be made at the recommendation of MOJ physicians. Alekbarov said he understood that Aliyev was still being held in MNS custody "because he faces other charges," but added that he would have to seek further clarification from the MNS. ¶4. (C) As of February 20, Aliyev's lawyers stated that they could not confirm reports of the heart attack, nor had they been able to obtain copies of the results of Aliyev's medical examinations. Isakhan Ashurov, one of Aliyev's attorneys, reported that the GOAJ still would not allow an independent physician to examine Aliyev. In addition, he said that Aliyev's family has not been permitted to visit him at the medical facility. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Based on the GOAJ's decision to keep Aliyev at the Boyuk Shore medical facility, it seems that MOJ officials are taking Aliyev's health complaints seriously. As reported previously, Aliyev has a pre-existing heart conditions and had been on a hunger strike February 2-4, which may have contributed to his health complaints. We continue to monitor the situation and will continue to urge the GOAJ to ensure that Aliyev receives appropriate medical care. DERSE