JAILED EX-MINISTER FARHAD ALIYEV REPORTEDLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000098 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2018 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KCOR AJ SUBJECT: JAILED EX-MINISTER FARHAD ALIYEV REPORTEDLY SUFFERS HEART ATTACK Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF JOAN POLASCHIK PER 1.4(B,D). ¶1. (C) According to his lawyers, jailed former Minister of Economic Development Farhad Aliyev suffered a myocardial infarction at approximately 0500 on February 4 while in the custody of the Ministry of National Security (MNS). Isakhan Ashurov, one of Aliyev's attorneys, called Emboff at approximately 2000 on February 4, requesting the Embassy's assistance in seeking access to medical care for Aliyev. According to Ashurov, Aliyev had not been well enough to meet with his lawyers the morning of February 4. Aliyev was able to meet with defense attorney Elton Guliyev the evening of February 4, at which time Ashurov said Aliyev was pale and appeared ill; according to the lawyer, Aliyev said he believed he had suffered a heart attack, and described the pain as "like nothing he had experienced before." Ashurov said that the MNS refused to grant Aliyev access to medical attention. At approximately 1620 on February 5, Ashurov reported that Aliyev had been transferred to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Boyuk Shore medical facility. (COMMENT: It is unclear why Aliyev remains in MNS custody; detainees are normally transferred from pre-trial detention to a permanent prison facility quickly after conviction. Most observers believe that conditions in MNS facilities are better than ordinary MOJ penal colonies.) ¶2. (C) Head of the Azerbaijan Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov told Emboff that he last visited Aliyev in detention at 1100 on February 2. According to Behbudov, at that time, Aliyev had complained of acute pain and reported that he had suffered a heart attack, but asked Behbudov not to notify his family members. Behbudov said that the MNS denied allegations that Aliyev had suffered a heart attack. Per his arrangement with the GOAJ, Behbudov is allowed to visit Aliyev on a monthly basis and cannot visit him again until March. ¶3. (C) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told Emboff that an ICRC delegation would visit Aliyev on February 5. As of COB, we were unable to confirm that the visit took place. ICRC has reported in the past that Aliyev was receiving adequate medical care. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Aliyev suffers from a pre-existing heart condition and his family, lawyers, and several prominent human rights activists have raised concerns regarding Aliyev's health throughout his detention. While in detention, Aliyev has staged several hunger strikes, including one from February 2-4, which may have placed additional stress on his heart. We continue to monitor the situation and will report developments septel. DERSE