Fazil Gasimov continues his hunger strike for 28 days

Fazil Gasimov, a doctoral student at Istanbul University, who is being held in Baku pre-trial detention center No. 1, has been on hunger strike for 28 days. On June 14, he announced that he had started a hunger strike to protest his arrest, and today informed his lawyer that he would continue the hunger strike until the end. "Fazil continues his hunger strike and has stated that he will not change his decision until the end. "Fasil was very weak, he lost a lot of weight," the lawyer said. Meanwhile, lawyer Rovshan Rahimli said that so far the investigator has not allowed her to meet with Fazil Gasimov.

"The investigator said he would give permission. But he's not picking up the phone right now.  I contacted the Bar Association about this. The man I am protecting has been on hunger strike for 28 days, and his health is very poor. He is in serious need of treatment,” the lawyer said. Rahimli said that there is a serious need to transfer to a medical institution of the Penitentiary Service in order to maintain Fazil Gasimov's health and keep him under the supervision of a doctor.

"In this regard, I appealed to the penitentiary service, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ombudsman. In response to my appeal, on July 9, the Ombudsman's office reported that a letter was sent to the head of the Main Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice, Jamil Kamilli, asking him to send Fazil Gasimov to a medical center, to assist in organizing his examination and treatment.

But, unfortunately, Fazil Gasimov has not yet been transferred to a medical institution,” the lawyer said. Fazil Gasimov graduated from the Caucasus University (ceased to exist on January 16, 2017), then studied in Turkiye, completed his doctoral studies at Istanbul University.

Gasimov, an economist living in Turkiye, was detained on August 8, 2023 in Istanbul and taken to Azerbaijan. Fazil Gasimov was detained as part of the investigation of the criminal case initiated against Gubad Ibadoglu and is charged under article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code (manufacture for the purpose of sale, including receiving or selling counterfeit money or foreign currency - when an organized group commits the same acts.)