Azerbaijani Dies During Confrontation With Police

BAKU -- Police in the Azerbaijani capital have been accused of beating a 55-year-old man to death, although police insist he died of a heart attack, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reported.

Late on August 3, police asked Aga Turabov's son to turn down the music on his car stereo.

Eyewitnesses say that Turabov came to his son's defense in the confrontation and a police officer grabbed the father by the neck and beat him with a baton.

Turabov died en route to the hospital. His body was taken for an autopsy and, after waiting a long time for the results, Turabov's relatives tried to take the body to the president's office.

But police blocked them and the corpse was taken to another hospital before being buried on August 4.

Police originally said that Turabov died of a heart attack triggered by the excitement of the confrontation between police and his son. Prosecutors are awaiting the final results of the autopsy.

The initial autopsy found indications of violence to Turabov's body, but the origin of the wounds was not identified.

Ten days ago, a taxi driver in Baku also was reported to have died of a heart attack during an encounter with police.

Relatives of the man say he was upset with the conduct of the police and that there were signs of violence against him.