Prison Service Refuses Pressure on Taleh Bagirzadeh

Baku / 15.02.19 / Turan: The Prison Service has once again denied reports of torture in the Gobustan prison against the religious activist Taleh Bagirzadeh and his hunger strike.

The message indicated that the wife of Bagirzadeh, Leila Ismailzadeh, told a number of media that her husband was under pressure, not allowed meetings with his lawyer and deprived of telephone conversations, and for this reason he was holding a long hunger strike.

The Prison Service reported that on February 12, prison chief Aftandil Agayev received Bagirzadeh"s father and spouse.

"During the meeting, an explanatory conversation was held, they were informed that there were no unlawful actions against Taleh, and conditions are created for his meetings with relatives and telephone conversations," the report said.

The Prison Service also claims that Bagirzadeh himself refused to meet with a lawyer and hold telephone conversations.

"Understanding the anxiety of the relatives, the head created the conditions for their meeting with Taleh Bagirzadeh in his working office. However, the convict came to the office and demanded that the relative leave. When the chief asked what the reason for the discontent was, Bagirzadeh allegedly stated: "I want to stay on the agenda, this is my chance."

Recall that the day before Bagirzade"s spouse told Turan that her husband had said that he was under pressure, he wasn"t allowed telephone conversations and he was on a hunger strike.

Ismailzadeh noted that her husband looked sluggish, haggard, and exhausted.

It should be noted that independent human rights structures are unable to monitor the prisons of Azerbaijan. -03B06-