Convicted journalist demands restoration of his rights

Polad Aslanov, head of the "xeberman.com website", who is serving a prison sentence, intends to go on hunger strike to demand restoration of his rights. He has sent an appropriate appeal to the Prosecutor General of the country, said his wife Gulmira Aslanova.

According to her, Polad complains about the failure to provide him and his lawyer with the decisions of the prosecutor's office on his complaints due to inhuman treatment after his detention on 12 June 2019 and September 2020 . At that time, Aslanov was unjustifiably imprisoned in a punishment cell.

The prosecutor's office refused to initiate criminal proceedings on Aslanov's complaints, but did not provide these decisions to either him or his lawyer.

"Therefore, he wrote a statement to the Prosecutor General and demanded that the decisions on his complaints be given to him," Aslanova said.

*Aslanov was arrested on 12 June 2019, charged under Article 274 of the Criminal Code (state treason), specifically for spying for Iran and sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment.

Aslanov denies all charges, saying that he is being persecuted for exposing corruption among intelligence officers.

Human rights activists have recognised him as a political prisoner. International organisations condemned Aslanov's arrest and called for his release. The Supreme Court subsequently reduced Aslanov's prison sentence to 13 years.