KHRP has just received news that the Committee Against Torture (CAT) has found Azerbaijan to be in violation of Articles 3 and 22 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment for the extradition to Turkey of Ms Elif Pelit, a Kurdish journalist with refugee status in Germany.

From 1993-1996 Ms Pelit was detained in Turkey on charges of “subversive activities and terrorism” but was released due to lack of evidence. She claims that she was tortured whilst in detention. On her release, she fled to Germany where she was granted refugee status. She later began working as a journalist for a pro-Kurdish news agency. In 2003 she was sent to cover the events in Iraq and was attacked by unidentified armed individuals in Mosul in 2004, who seized her travel documents. In November 2004 Ms Pelit illegally entered Azerbaijan in order to contact the German Embassy and recover her travel documents but was arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities for illegal entry into the country.

KHRP is deeply concerned about the recent sentence handed down to two Kurdish activists by the Iranian courts in July. Journalist Adnan Hassanpur and social activist Hiwa Butimar were sentenced to death after nearly six months in prison where they have faced torture and degrading treatment. They were not represented by their own lawyers, as they were only informed of the trial 24 hours before it was due to begin. Nor did they have enough time to travel to Marivan where the hearing was held. Mr Butimar and Mr Hassanpour were represented instead by a duty solicitor; duty solicitors are widely considered to be agents of the state.