12/12/2024 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
We talked to Ali Malikov, an Azerbaijani LGBTI+ activist who was detained during the November 25 protest and held in three different removal centers: “We were forced to stay in filth, the cold was unbearable”
Removal Centers continue to come to the agenda with intense rights violations. The latest victims of the rights violations in the centers were Azerbaijani rights defenders who wanted to participate in a demonstration in Istanbul on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Male Violence against Women.
LGBTI+ activist Ali Malikov and Parvin Alakbarov were detained before the protest even started. While everyone else detained on the same day was released, they were sent to the removal center because they were Azerbaijanis. They were taken to different places of detention for days, and their friends and the November 25 Platform could not reach either of them for a long time. Unable to bear the violations of their rights in the removal center any longer, the two rights defenders were forced to sign a “voluntary repatriation form” and returned to Azerbaijan.
We talked to Ali Malikov about their experiences after returning to their country, on the day of the protest and afterwards. Malikov told their story to KaosGL.org.
“We were kept in reverse handcuffs for 10 hours”
On November 25, even before the protest started, the police forcibly removed people sitting in cafes, Malikov said, adding that when they were in the cafe, they were suddenly taken to a police barricade, and when they tried to leave the area, all exits were blocked:
“We approached the police and said we wanted to leave, but they didn’t let us. There was still an hour left before the protest was scheduled to begin. Police vehicles arrived, and they told us to disperse. We couldn’t disperse because all exits were blocked. We tried to help minors leave first. Later, we learned that minors allowed through side streets were caught again. After that, we tried to get the sick out. Despite my illness and the risk of having an attack there, they refused to let us leave, saying, “If you were sick, you shouldn’t have come. For about 10 hours, I was left in reverse handcuffs. My hands went numb, but they still didn’t loosen them. Normally, handcuffs should be opened with special cutters, but they only had a knife. My hands were bruised and covered in cuts because the police deliberately scraped the knife against my wrists while laughing. It was clear this was done to me specifically because I am trans.”
Threats, swearing and insults
They were then taken first to the Istanbul Security Directorate in Vatan Street and then to the police headquarters in Taksim. Here their request for an interpreter was denied. Their statements were taken without an interpreter. Malikov said that the police officers made fun of them, did not even give them food, and forced them to sleep on iron bunk beds in a cold room.
Their next destination was the Arnavutköy Removal Center. Authorities tried to make them sign a “voluntary return form”. Their request to see a lawyer went unanswered. According to Malikov, the ill-treatment continued here as well:
“They threw us into the men's section. Again, they mocked us. I asked, "Where are you taking us?" They yelled at me, saying, "Don’t ask us questions again!" They mocked us, saying, "You’re going to catch a disease in here." The police kept making jokes about the Gezi protests and throwing insults at us as if they were venting their frustrations on us. They later moved us to another room. The windows in that room were broken, and the door was barely standing. The mattresses were rotting. We hadn’t eaten anything until that point. They gave us only bread and water. While we were there, other victims would open the door and come in. Early in the morning, about 20 people suddenly broke down our door. Parvin shouted, "Family!" They quickly dispersed, thinking we were a couple. Later, we asked, "Why did you break down our door?" They said, "The police ordered it." Then a police officer smashed the window and came in. He cursed and asked, "Were you involved in the commotion or not?" Breakfast came, but again, it was just water and bread with cheese. We were too scared to go to the restroom at night. In general, even during the day, we couldn’t leave the room or go to the restroom.”
Malikov added that although they showed the wounds on their wrists during the medical examination, the doctor ignored them.
“The cold was unbearable and we couldn't even breathe properly”
Both activists were sent to another removal center, this time in Çatalca. While they were being moved around the removal centers, both the 25 November Platform and their friends were saying that they had not heard from them and campaigning for their release. It was not known why they were sent from one center to another.
According to Malikov, threats and insults continued in Çatalca. After threats of “We will not let you live here”, they were sent away from Çatalca as well. Their new stop was Kocaeli Removal Center.
“The conditions at the Kocaeli repatriation center were even more horrifying. When we arrived, they tried to strip-search us. They constantly insulted us and made degrading remarks. Until the sixth day, we were not given clean clothes or soap. We were kept in a messy, filthy room. Unlike others, we were only allowed a 10-minute break to make calls or smoke. We were forced to stay in that filth, and our bodies started breaking out in rashes. The cold was unbearable, and we couldn’t even breathe properly because of it.”
When they could not stand the conditions any longer and decided to sign the “voluntary repatriation form”, the response was “Why do you want to sign it now? Why didn't you do it before? Do you really think you can get out of here?” Malikov said that the uncertainty throughout the process affected them very badly.
They were not informed about anything, Malikov said, adding that insults and threats continued even on the way back.
Tags: human rights, women
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