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Journalists arrested in the “Meydan TV case” have issued an appeal to the diplomatic corps operating in Azerbaijan. We present the appeal as it is:
We, journalists arrested in connection with the “Meydan TV case,” ask representatives of the diplomatic corps operating in Azerbaijan, especially the European Union Office in Baku and the embassies of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France, to attend and monitor our court hearings held at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. The lack of independent media and the absence of visual coverage of the proceedings by the press are undermining our basic right to a fair defense.
The presiding judge, Aytan Aliyeva, behaves like someone who cannot control her nerves and is incapable of listening, recognizing no one’s right to speak except the state prosecutor. The judge is violating the requirements of Article 81.2 of the Criminal Procedure Code. According to this article, she must ensure a fair examination of the criminal case and comply with procedural requirements concerning the conduct of persons participating in the court session. Judge Aytan Aliyeva expects us to limit ourselves to answering her questions only with “yes” or “no.” She does not even refrain from making threats.
While the law grants individuals to state and justify their own guilt or innocence, Aytan Aliyeva does not allow the detained journalists this opportunity. She does not even allow our legal defenders to speak, constantly saying “sit down” and “be quiet,” not allowing people to finish their thoughts, and when faced with objections, she suspends the proceedings and leaves the courtroom. In short, Judge Aytan Aliyeva, who is unable to manage the process, is violating the requirements of Articles 91.5.13 (making objections and motions), 91.5.17 (declaring guilt or innocence), 91.5.38 (expressing opinions on motions and proposals made by other participants in criminal proceedings, as well as issues decided by the court), and 91.5.39 (expressing objections to unlawful actions of the other party) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Azerbaijani officials respond to calls for the journalists’ release by saying, “The trial is still ongoing; we believe a fair decision will be made.” You can come to the court and monitor it yourselves to see that expecting justice from a court where even the simple right of reply is not respected is naive.
We recognize that Aytan Aliyeva is not the authority deciding our fate and thus regards hearing us as a waste of time. However, this performance staged by the authorities is being legitimized under her chairmanship. From the very first hearing, the judge has created conditions only for the state prosecutor, thereby revealing her side, taking away our right to speak, and even behaving rudely.
We call for international oversight of the trial of those arrested in the “Meydan TV case” and invite all embassies to attend.
The post Journalists arrested in ‘Meydan TV Case’ call on embassies to monitor their trial appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.
The post Journalists arrested in ‘Meydan TV Case’ call on embassies to monitor their trial appeared first on azeritimes.com.
Ninotsminda boarding school case in Georgia
The Georgian state has lost a court case brought by 11 former pupils of the Ninotsminda boarding school, which is under the supervision of the Patriarchate. Tbilisi City Court ordered the state to pay compensation of 30,000 lari (about $11,000) to each of them.
The court’s decision was based on a complaint filed by the organisation Partnership for Human Rights (PHR).
The complaint, in turn, relied on a ruling by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which found that children at the boarding school had in some cases been subjected to torture and inhuman treatment.
According to Partnership for Human Rights, the committee remains dissatisfied with the situation and intends to continue monitoring the case.
In a recently published report, the following concerns were raised:
- There has been no substantial progress in the criminal investigation and no one has so far been formally held criminally responsible.
- The state must conduct an investigation into the situation of children currently living in the Ninotsminda boarding school.
The organisation is particularly concerned that children who had initially sought compensation for abuse are still living in the orphanage and refuse to communicate with lawyers.
According to the committee, this may indicate that excessive pressure is being exerted on them.
The boarding school was established in 2012 in the town of Ninotsminda in southern Georgia, in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region, and is run by the Georgian Orthodox Church. At various times more than 100 children lived in the facility. The institution was partly funded from the state budget. According to publicly available information, the state allocated about 9.8 million lari (around $3m) to it between 2012 and 2021.
In 2021, reports emerged of physical and psychological abuse of children at the boarding school. It also became known that Georgia’s Public Defender had not been allowed to visit the facility to conduct monitoring. The incident caused widespread public outcry. Following the scandal, many children were transferred from the boarding school to other care institutions.
Court proceedings
The organisation Partnership for Human Rights represented 11 former residents of the boarding school in Tbilisi City Court. The first lawsuit was filed a year ago, shortly after the publication of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s findings.
According to a statement by Partnership for Human Rights, the organisation filed four lawsuits over the past year in total, seeking a timely court decision.
The organisation demanded 100,000 lari (about $35,000) in compensation for each child who had suffered abuse.
“It is practically impossible to fully repair the damage caused — no amount of money can compensate for violence and cruel treatment. However, the compensation must still be adequate and reflect the specific circumstances, including the age of the former residents, their particular vulnerability, and the forms and duration of the abuse,” the statement by Partnership for Human Rights said.
The organisation has now appealed the city court’s decision regarding the amount of compensation.
However, Georgia’s Ministry of Finance has also appealed the amount of compensation imposed, filing a case with the Court of Appeal.
“Violence, isolation, inadequate care” — what the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child report says
On 5 May 2021, a complaint was submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the Ninotsminda boarding school. It alleged possible violence, abuse and isolation of children at the institution.
The case concerned 57 children who had lived at the Ninotsminda boarding school for many years.
The committee’s decision was published three years later, on 24 May 2024. It said the state had failed to ensure effective protection of children from physical and psychological violence.
The document described serious problems at the Ninotsminda boarding school, including cases of violence, isolation and inadequate care.
The report said children were systematically subjected to physical and psychological abuse at the institution. It gave the following examples:
- Children were subjected to humiliating punishments: they were forced to kneel for hours, left without food, locked in rooms and humiliated in front of other children.
- Older children were sometimes forced to beat younger ones.
- At least one child was given psychotropic drugs without the involvement of a doctor, and the child reportedly slept constantly.
- Children had no personal space.
- They were isolated from society and were not allowed to leave the boarding school.
- They received insufficient food.
- Children lived in unsatisfactory hygienic conditions.
- There were also problems with access to education.
- Amid the allegations, the boarding school refused access to oversight bodies. For example, the ombudsman was repeatedly denied entry.
Georgian authorities said monitoring had been carried out at the institution, cases of abuse had been investigated, some children had been placed under guardianship, some had returned to their families, and those who remained at the boarding school had done so voluntarily.
What is happening now
The Ninotsminda boarding school continues to operate. Following the high-profile scandals of 2021, the school’s head supervisor was replaced: Bishop Spiridon Abuladze was succeeded by Bishop Iakob Bodbeli.
Ninotsminda boarding school case in Georgia
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