Azerbaijan Silences Media Over Reports of Torture of Its Soldiers

The Prosecutor's Office has warned media representatives and social media users not to publish information regarding the "Tartars case" without permission.

Azerbaijani media outlets, citing the press service of the Prosecutor's Office, reported that the Prosecutor's Office has cautioned representatives of the media and social media users that publishing information about the pre-investigation without appropriate authorization is unacceptable and punishable under criminal law.

According to the statement, measures prescribed by law will be applied for disseminating distorted information aiming to influence the investigation, create false public perceptions, and tarnish the reputation of the Azerbaijani army and state institutions.

It should be noted that this refers to the torture of hundreds of military personnel suspected of treason to the homeland between May and June 2017, which resulted in the deaths of at least 11 individuals at that time. Following the four-day war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone (April 2-5, 2016), there were mass tortures. The "Tartars case" is named after the Tartar region of Azerbaijan, where Azerbaijani soldiers were taken and tortured.