Detainees Allege Torture, Electric Shocks and Extortion by Azerbaijan’s Anti-Organized Crime Unit

Two detainees held in Azerbaijan have alleged that they were tortured, threatened with rape, and pressured to sign false confessions after being arrested by the Interior Ministry’s Main Department for Combating Organized Crime (MCDOC), widely known as the “Bandotdel.”

The allegations were documented by Ramil Babayev, an employee of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) who is himself imprisoned in connection with the Toplum TV case. Babayev interviewed the two detainees while they were being held together at the Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center.

To protect their identities, Babayev identified the interviewees only as “Isa” and “Shahriyar.”

Both men were arrested on drug trafficking charges, but they insist the accusations were fabricated and say they were subjected to torture and intimidation to force them to sign false statements.

Isa recalled being seized by plainclothes officers while walking with a friend.

“One man grabbed one of my arms from behind while another got out of a nearby car and grabbed the other. When I asked who they were, they replied, ‘Banditism Department,’ and immediately punched me several times in the stomach. After forcing me into the car, they bent my head beneath the seat and continued punching me for a long time,” he said.

Shahriyar said he was detained while waiting for a friend on a snowy street.

“They kicked my legs from behind so hard that I was thrown into the air. They dragged me to a car, beat me, and mocked me, saying they had heard I was a boxer but that I had no strength.”

According to Isa, the abuse intensified after he was taken to the Anti-Organized Crime Department.

“They threw me onto the floor. One officer stood on my hands, another on my legs, while a third jumped on my ribs. The footprint from his boot remained on my chest for a long time. When I still refused to sign the statement, they tied me to a chair, poured cold water over my head and applied electric shocks.”

Isa says the officers then threatened to rape him if he continued refusing to cooperate.

“When they realized I was still resisting, one of them shouted: ‘Rape him!’ At that moment, I had no choice but to agree to sign whatever they had written.”

Shahriyar said he signed the prepared statement immediately because he feared suffering similar abuse.

“I had heard many stories about torture at the Bandotdel. One acquaintance had his toenails and teeth pulled out with pliers. I told them from the beginning: ‘Write whatever you want, I’ll sign it. Just don’t torture me.’”

The detainees also claimed that the charges against them were fabricated.

Isa said he believes he was targeted because he had previously beaten a person allegedly connected to the Anti-Organized Crime Department.

“If I assaulted someone, investigate that case properly. Call the victim, document the injuries, and prosecute me accordingly. But why label me a drug dealer? Drugs are a red line for my family.”

He also alleged that investigators manipulated the results of a drug test.

“They bought a sample container from a pharmacy after arresting me. They took blood and urine samples and brought me to a medical facility. I thought the results would clear me. Instead, an officer instructed the doctor to write that methamphetamine had been found, and the doctor did exactly that.”

Both men further alleged that investigators demanded large sums of money from their families in exchange for their release.

Isa claimed officers demanded 40,000 Azerbaijani manats, while Shahriyar said his father was asked to pay 70,000 manats.

“When my father said he could only raise 30,000 manats by borrowing from relatives and neighbors, they replied that they knew we had put our house up for sale and told him to find the rest,” Shahriyar said.

Both detainees expressed little confidence in Azerbaijan’s judicial system.

“They influence judges and lawyers alike,” Shahriyar said. “Several lawyers refused to take my case as soon as they heard it involved the Bandotdel. If you have money, you can buy your freedom. I don’t.”

Babayev said he conducted the interviews several months ago but delayed publishing them until the detainees’ court proceedings had concluded.

According to him, the testimonies reflect not only the experiences of these two men but also “the reality faced by hundreds of people held in detention facilities.”

The Interior Ministry and the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime have not publicly commented on the allegations.