Reports indicate that Fazil Gasimov, a doctoral student at Istanbul University who was detained in Turkey and transferred to Azerbaijan in August 2023, has now been on hunger strike for 87 days. As a result of the ongoing hunger strike, Gasimov's weight has plummeted to 37 kilograms. His lawyer, Rovshan Ragimli, confirmed that Gasimov's condition is dire. Ragimli stated that Gasimov is no longer able to walk and now relies on a wheelchair.
Famil Khalilov, a public activist arrested on drug trafficking charges, has been on hunger strike for 26 days. Khalilov, who was born with cerebral palsy and has a disability of the first group, is also in a critical state.
Human rights activist Rufat Safarov, head of the "Defense Line" human rights organization, discussed the situation on the program "Complex Question." According to Safarov, the case against Fazil Gasimov is politically motivated. He alleges that Gasimov is being targeted to fabricate a case against Gubad Ibadoglu based on false accusations. The authorities, through torture, extracted false testimony from Gasimov against Ibadoglu.
Safarov also noted that Gasimov is being held in solitary confinement in a facility for life-sentenced prisoners. "He is suffering despite being dressed warmly for the weather, cannot drink, and is unable to walk without assistance," Safarov said. Gasimov is reportedly refusing to end his hunger strike as a protest against his unjust arrest and the torture he endured at the "Bandotdel" (Ministry of Internal Affairs' Organized Crime Department), and he demands the cessation of his criminal prosecution. Safarov fears that Gasimov may fall into a coma at any moment.
Regarding Family Khalilov, Safarov described his case as unprecedented. "To date, there has been no instance in Azerbaijan where a person with a first-group disability has faced politically motivated persecution and been forced to go on hunger strike. Yet now we are witnessing the authorities fabricating a case against a disabled person, turning him into a drug lord, and orchestrating attacks on him by fellow inmates in the penitentiary system," Safarov expressed his outrage. He also suggested that these developments are indicative of Azerbaijan's accelerating descent towards totalitarianism.
Difficult question
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On December 18, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, gave an interview to several Russian media outlets. In this interview, Aliyev discussed the significant influence of Western countries on processes in Georgia, highlighting the activities of thousands of non-governmental organizations in the country funded from abroad. The president also reacted to news coverage about Azerbaijan in Western media.
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The 2025 state budget, changes to the Tax Code, the minimum living standard for the upcoming year, need criteria, and the draft budget of Azerbaijan's State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) for 2025 were analyzed by economist and chairman of the REAL Party, Natig Jafarli, on the program “Difficult Question.”
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The recent arrests in Azerbaijan, processes related to the state of human rights in the country, and the reactions of international organizations and the West were discussed on the program "Difficult Question" by Jamil Hasanli, Chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces.
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The recent arrests, the state of human rights in the country, and the reactions of international organizations and the West to what is happening in Azerbaijan were discussed in the program "Complex Question" by Samira Gasimli, a political psychologist and the wife of political scientist Azer Gasimli, director of the Institute of Political Management.
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