Imran Aliyev, Head of the Online Platform Meclis.info, Declares Hunger Strike in Pretrial Detention

Imran Aliyev, the head of the online platform Meclis.info, has declared a hunger strike at the Baku Pretrial Detention Center-1. He announced this in a letter to the public. Aliyev reports that he has been on hunger strike since November 18 in protest against his arrest. "I have been unlawfully detained for 7 months. During this time, judges have been making decisions in my case based on false accusations that are not supported by any evidence."

Aliyev also states that the website he heads, Məclis.info, was a platform for monitoring parliamentary activities and operated since 2020 based on public interest. The primary goal of the project was to establish a bridge between citizens and lawmakers. However, in 2022-2023, due to pressure, the platform's activities were shut down, and its editorial team shifted to online education and information dissemination.

"Despite the president repeatedly emphasizing the importance of public oversight mechanisms, our activities were deemed dangerous, and I was arrested," Aliyev remarked. During his arrest, Aliyev has faced physical and psychological pressure multiple times. He also notes that the news of his father's cancer diagnosis was a significant blow during his detention.

"In protest of all that is happening, I have declared a hunger strike,  demand the closure of the fabricated criminal case and my release," Aliyev stated.

Imran Aliyev was detained on April 18 at Baku Airport. He was charged in the Abzas Media case with smuggling foreign currency. Later, Aliyev's case was separated into an independent investigation.

Aliyev denies the charges against him. Local and international human rights organizations have condemned his persecution, linking the criminal case to his website Meclis.info, which monitors the work of the Azerbaijani parliament and its deputies. On November 19, the court extended his detention for another three months.