Activist continues dry hunger strike in colony for fifth day

Activist Lachyn Veliyev has been on a dry hunger strike in colony No. 10 for five days, his wife Zulfiya Veliyeva told Turan. 

Note that he is protesting against the prohibition to give power of attorney to his wife to receive compensation ordered by the ECHR.  Veliyev is also protesting against the denial of medical care for his kidney disease.

As noted by his wife, on 28 May the activist was received by the colony authorities and promised to solve the issues raised by him.  This notwithstanding, Veliyev continues his hunger strike, as he has been given similar promises before, but then they were not fulfilled.

Recall that Veliyev's condition is worsening and he is not given medical assistance or even isolated from other prisoners.

It was not possible to get comments from the penitentiary service.

*Veliyev was arrested in March 2021 on charges of ‘large-scale drug trafficking’. Subsequently, he was also charged with ‘fraud’ and sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment.

According to human rights activists, the real reason for Veliyev's arrest is his opposition activities. In the past he was a member of the Musavat Party and later a supporter of the Party of People's Front of Azerbaijan.

Veliyev was detained after street rallies on 15 July 2020 in Baku. In September 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Veliyev's pre-trial detention was unlawful and ordered him to pay compensation of €3,500.

Worthy of note is that the government itself unilaterally recognised the violation of Veliyev's rights, expressing its willingness to compensate him for moral damages.