Thalassemia Strikes Arrested Activist Zaur Gurbanly

There are serious health problems at the arrested member of the civil movement NIDA and blogger Zaur Gurbanly suffering from thalassemia.

"Zaur needs treatment. His spleen is lengthened by 2 cm, with problems in the functioning of the kidneys, " said in an interview with Turan the young man's father Araz Gurbanly.

According to him, Zaur needs expert treatment that can not be in prison. The father of the young man finds that a measure of restraint - arrest should be replaced at least by house arrest.

The lawyer Khalid Bagirov, in turn, said that in connection with health of Zaur Gurbanly, he repeatedly turned to law enforcement agencies, including the Prison Service.

According to Bagirov, thalassemia patients should only be treated in a specialized center of thalassemia. The lawyer asked for replacement of arrest by house arrest, but to no avail. Moreover, Bagirov did not rule out the extension of the detention of Gurbanly, who was arrested on April 1 for three months.

Head of Public Relations of the Penitentiary Service Mehman Sadigov confirmed that Gurbanly is ill with thalassemia. Along with this, his general condition is satisfactory and he is under the supervision of doctors.

Gurbanly is one of the seven activists of NIDA, arrested in March and April. He is charged under Article 228.3 (illegal possession of explosives in an organized group). He faces a prison sentence of 5 to 8 years.
Amnesty International has recognized all the arrested activists NIDA «prisoners of conscience." -16B06-