Samir Ashurov complained about the lack of medical care in the pre-trial detention center

Health of Samir Ashurov, activist and former political emigrant Samir Ashurov, who is being held in prison Number 2, has deteriorated, his wife Nurana Ashurova told.

"Samir had heart pains for more than two weeks ago. He went to the doctor and had an electrocardiogram. The doctor said that urgent hospitalization was necessary. Samir underwent heart surgery in Germany, after which he felt fine. However, after his arrest, due to the stress he suffered, being held in a cramped jail cell for almost two years, and limited access to fresh air, he again had heart problems," N.Ashurova said.

She noted that no measures were being taken to transfer her husband to a medical institution of the penitentiary service. He is not even placed in the medical unit of the prison, N. Ashurova said.

"Samir is told that he will be sent to the hospital "next Saturday."  Saturdays are already passing, but he is still in the prison, where he does not receive any treatment at all.  Not helping a person with a heart disease is tantamount to condemning him to death," N. Ashurova said.

She also appealed to the Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross. "I was told that Samir would be visited in the coming days, but more than a week has passed and there are no results," N.Ashurova noted. The Prison Service could not be reached for comment.

* Ashurov participated in anti-government actions and in 2018, after two administrative arrests, emigrated to Germany. There he also participated in actions aimed at drawing attention to the problem of human rights in Azerbaijan.

On March 29, 2022, he was deported to Azerbaijan, and 20 days later he was detained by the police in Baku. He was accused of stabbing Elshan Nabiyev. Human rights activists recognized Ashurov as a "political prisoner", believing that the real reason for the persecution was participation in protests against human rights violations. In December 2023, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in prison. Subsequently, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.