Prison Service Refutes Hunger Strike in Places of Detention (UPDATED)

Baku / 14.01.19 / Turan: The Prison Service has denied information about the beginning of a hunger strike in places of detention in support of Mehman Huseynov and demanding the release of political prisoners.

The head of the public relations department of the Prison Service, Mehman Sadigov, said today that there is no hunger strike in any penitentiary institution.

On the eve, a message was spread about the beginning of a hunger strike by Ilkin Rustamzadeh, Bayram Mammadov, Elchin Ismayilli, Ahsan Nuruzadeh and Giyas Ibrahimov. -06D--

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2019 January 14 (Monday) 01:24:14

Four Activists Go on Hunger Strike in Prisons

Baku / 01/14/19 / Turan: Four convicts serving sentences in Prison No. 13 declared a hunger strike in support of the blogger Mehman Huseynov and demanding the release of all political prisoners. On the evening of January 13, a joint appeal to the public of the activists Ilkin Rustamzadeh, Bayram Mammadov and Ahsan Nuruzadeh, and the journalist Elchin Ismailly was published on social networks.

All of them are recognized as political prisoners, and Rustamzadeh and Mammadov are "prisoners of conscience."

The authors note that after what happened to Mehman Huseynov (bringing him a new charge two months before the end of the sentence) they decided to jointly resist repression. "We are starting a hunger strike from today and are convinced that other political prisoners will join it," the statement says.

They call all political prisoners for unity. "If we wait for our fate like sacrificial sheep, then tomorrow they will "find" drugs, weapons, etc. under each pillow. or we will be accused of "beating" someone," the statement says.

They believe they should not rely on the support of the West. "After the fog has cleared, someone will come from the West and a deal will be concluded with them: several political prisoners broken and turned into puppets by the special services and representatives of the West will welcome this "act of humanism" and "magnificent reforms". They (representatives of the West) will return with oil and suitcases filled with euro and dollars and will quietly approve another wave of repression," the authors of the appeal believe.

The activists declare the beginning of an indefinite-term hunger strike in defense of Huseynov and demand the release of all political prisoners. The authors urge other political prisoners to join the hunger strike.

The mother of another activist, a prisoner of conscience Giyas Ibrahimov, Shura Amiraslanova, announced her son"s intention to join the hunger strike. She stated this on Facebook after meeting with her son in Prison No. 2 on January 13.

According to Azerbaijani human rights activists, there are currently 150 political prisoners in the country.

Turan's attempts to receive comments from the Prison Service have not yet succeeded.

* Mehman Huseynov went on a hunger strike from December 26, after he was charged with a new charge 2 months before the end of his prison term. -06D--