Open letter of the political prisoner of Asif Latifov to the President of Azerbaijan

The IOLR received a letter of a former officer of the Special State Guard Service of Azerbaijan which we are quoting literally

“Dear Mr. President,

I will not take much of your time, but kindly ask you to give instructions of your assistants carefully review my case. All my life I honestly served Azerbaijan and its people, I was ready to sacrifice my life for people benefit, reaching the rank of senior lieutenant of the Special State Guard Service, and eventually I was imprisoned on contrived and trumped-up accusation of theft of one cartridge.

This is funny, but I cannot laugh.

In my possession were thousands ammunitions and modern weapons, and for the found and returned of a gun I was encouraged, so why do I need a cartridge?

A cartridge had needed for people to take reprisal with me for the unconditional fulfillment your orders.

You have declared the combat corruption; I took everything on faith and criticized the corruption actions of separate employees of the Guard Service. They had been relatives of the “big” people and in order to make me shut up, they had deprived me freedom.

If this is the fight against corruption, then I deeply regret of my mistake. Indeed, one cannot believe everything what one hear and read.

Your subordinates have turned me into a political prisoner, but it benefited only the enemies of Azerbaijan.

Sincerely,

Asif Latifov, a senior lieutenant”

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