The Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty-Azadliq recently published an interview with the international counselor of the family of Ruben Vardanyan, illegally detained in Baku, a well-known American lawyer, Jared Genser.
Despite the journalist’s biased, pro-government questioning, the lawyer voiced a number of important messages during the interview.
When asked by the journalist on what grounds the international legal team filed an urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture when the Azerbaijani government denies the allegations of torture, Jared Genser replied that the 20-page letter addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur is available to the public and they can also read it. As for the Azerbaijani government’s allegations, the lawyer noted that they are lies.
“The Government of Azerbaijan, not only on its own behalf, but also on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross, states that Ruben Vardanyan was not subjected to any torture. I can unequivocally tell you that this is a lie. It is a lie, because the International Committee of the Red Cross works according to the same principle all over the world, and it does not disclose either publicly or confidentially whether a person has been tortured or not. Because that is the only way to guarantee his access to those countries.
I have worked on the cases of more than 50 political prisoners in my career and I have never come across such a statement by the Red Cross Committee. Then why are they not releasing to the public the letter they claim to have received from the Committee? I am 100% sure that no such letter exists. If he really wasn’t tortured, they don’t need to make excuses or hide anything. However, they are shamelessly spreading such false information on behalf of the Committee,” he emphasized.
Jared Genser stated that he is unable to establish any communication with his client Ruben Vardanyan: “I will be glad if you ask the government of Azerbaijan why Jared Genser is not allowed to come to Azerbaijan and meet Ruben Vardanyan in person. I am not allowed to enter Azerbaijan and my right as a lawyer to meet with my client has been violated. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that a detainee has the right to choose his lawyer. Ruben chose me as his international lawyer, but in violation of this right I am not allowed to enter Azerbaijan. By doing so, the Azerbaijani government is making my desire to gather evidence impossible. The only evidence I can get is Ruben’s words.”
The journalist asked who rejected his appeal to come to Azerbaijan. “We applied to the prosecutor’s office and asked for permission. We were denied,” Jared Genser noted.
Sources
Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office prevented Ruben Vardanyan’s international lawyer from visiting Baku
