Two more prisoners joined Polad Aslanov's hunger strike  (updated)

An elderly prisoner, Yagubov Veli Alekper oglu, also joined the hunger strike. According to his relatives, he is protesting against unfounded criminal prosecution and illegal deprivation of his pension.

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Another prisoner, Ramal Huseynov, has joined Polad Aslanov's hunger strike in colony No. 1, his mother Zubalya Huseynova said.

She said Huseynov was arrested in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment on charges of illegal sale of drugs and smuggling.

The mother claims that although her son has been tried twice for drugs, this time he is not guilty of anything.

‘The investigator demanded 20,000 manats from me for my son's release, but when I came next time with a lawyer, he got angry and said he would now put my son in jail for 15-16 years,’ the woman said.

 According to her, R.Huseynov attempted suicide twice in protest against unjustified persecution. ‘Ramal is now on hunger strike. Those who come to COP29 should also take interest in human rights, in how innocent people are thrown into prisons,’ the woman said.

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Polad Aslanov starts hunger strike demanding release of political prisoners.

Convicted head of the website 'xeberman.com' Polad Aslanov started a hunger strike in colony N1 on 4 November, demanding the release of political prisoners ahead of the COP29 conference. He is demanding freedom for himself and for other political prisoners, his wife Gulmira Aslanova said.

‘ A country that holds COP29 should not have political prisoners. It cannot be that the authorities take care of climate, nature, environment, water, and violate human rights at the same time,’ the wife stated.

According to Aslanov, ‘either the political prisoners must be released or COP29 must be cancelled.’

It was not possible to get a comment from the Penitentiary Service.

* Head of 'xeberman.com' Polad Aslanov was arrested on 12 June 2019 on charges of spying for Iran - Article 274 of the Criminal Code (state treason). He was 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 the Aslanov's arrest and called for his release. The Supreme Court subsequently reduced Aslanov's prison sentence to 13 years.