Amnesty International launches campaign in defense of Azerbaijani opposition

Baku/19.06.20/Turan: The human rights organization Amnesty İnternational launched a campaign in defense of Azerbaijani opposition leader Agil Humbatov, who was placed in a psychiatric hospital in Baku.

The statement stated that after forcibly being sent to a hospital for criticizing the authorities, he was forcibly injected with unknown drugs.

In this regard, the organization called on letters of protest to be sent to the head physician of the mental hospital, Agahasan Rasulov, and the Azerbaijani ambassador to the USA, Elin Suleymanov.

The text of the appeal on the organization’s website expresses concern about the forced treatment of a member of the Popular Front Party, Humbatov, for criticizing the authorities.

On April 1 of this year, the Sabunchu court rejected the hospital’s request for involuntary hospitalization and decided to release him. However, on April 2, the police re-arrested Humbatov and brought him to the hospital after he posted the appeal on social networks, where he told about forced hospitalization.

On April 3, the Baku Court of Appeal overturned the previous decision and approved forced hospitalization on the recommendation of the head physician of the hospital.

Since then, the hospital administration has not allowed the Humbatov family to see him. On May 12, he complained to his wife by telephone that doctors were injecting him with unknown drugs against his will, which caused his health to deteriorate.

On June 2, the hospital administration extended the period of involuntary hospitalization for another month. All this is a flagrant case of humiliation of human dignity, inhuman treatment, and violation of the right to health, freedom of expression, personal freedom.

The petition calls for an immediate end to Humbatov's compulsory treatment and immediate release from the psychiatric hospital. — 06D-