Hunger strike in the Gobustan prison continues

Mass hunger strike of the prisoner for life in the Gobustan prison  has  been lasting since April 18. They require to review their  cases and abolish the penalty of life imprisonment. These prisoners were once sentenced to death. However, due to the cancellation in February 1998, the death penalty in Azerbaijan, this measure has been replaced by the Parliament to life imprisonment. The action participants believe that Parliament has assigned powers of the judiciary power by setting to a new punishment.

In their view, the death penalty was to be replaced to the maximum sentence - 15 years in prison.

According to the head of the Committee to Protect the life of prisoners for life,  Muslimat Rzahanova,  for of April 26  the total number of hunger strikers  is 16 inmates.

According to her, the prisoner Bakhtiyar Jafarov sewed his  mouth.

Other inmates also had health problems. The government agencies  has not responded  to the hunger strike yet.

The strikers were  attended by representatives of the Ombudswoman, however, there is no result, said Rzahanova.

Head of Public Relations of the Penitentiary Service, Mehman Sadigov, confirmed the  fact of hunger strike. However, the number of strikers is  only nine people, and  nobody sewed up his mouth, he said. According to him, the protesters are under medical supervision. 

At the time of the abolition of the death penalty  in Azerbaijan, February 10, 1998, there were 128  people convicted to death. Currently,  77  of them survived -16B06—