The new trial in the case of Afghan Sadigov is held in closed mode (UPDATED)

Baku/04.05.18/Turan: The trial on the suit of the former head of the Executive Power of the Jalilabad region, Aziz Azizov, against the editor of the site Azel.TV AfganSadygov is postponed for May 11. The trial was postponed due to the poor health of Sadigov, who has been on hunger strike in prison since April 30, Turan was told by his wife SevinjSadigova. At the beginning of the meeting, the judge decided to conduct closetrialat the request of the representative of the plaintiff, who explained this by the fact that the issues relating to private life may be raised in the case. The claim of the former head of Jalilabad was filed in connection with the publication on the site of Azer.TV in 2016 for some reason at the end of 2017 after the Supreme Court softened the sentence to Sadigov from 2.5 to 1.5 years imprisonment. Sadigov rejects the accusation. On May 4, before the start of the trial, he passed a media appeal through human rights activist Samir Kazymly. Sadigov writes that he started a hunger strike in protest against "anarchy, violations of prisoners' rights, torture" in penitentiary institutions, "indifference" to the health of prisoners in the Main Medical Directorate of the Ministry of Justice, the lack of medicines and the treatment of convicts. Sadigov writes that on April 30 he went on a hunger strike and sewed his own mouth. The next day, according to the journalists, " they opened hismouth" and "to get rid" of him under the pretext of a trial scheduled for May 4 in Jalilabadsenthim to the detention center of the police department in the neighboring Masalli district.--0--

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2018 May 04 (Friday) 13:13:55

Journalist on Hunger Strike

Baku / 04.05.18 / Turan: The arrested journalist Afghan Sadygov has been on a hunger strike for the fourth day. His wife Sevinj Sadygova told Turan she could not get information about her husband"s health.

The journalist protests against unreasonable criminal prosecution and arbitrariness in custody. As Sadygova said, her husband went on a hunger strike on May 1 in protest against anarchy in the Penitentiary Service and the main medical department of the Ministry of Justice. The journalist's appeal to the head of the pretrial detention center is published on the Facebook page of his spouse, in which he informs about the refusal of "taking food and medicine".

It should be reminded that Afghan Sadygov was detained on November 22, 2016. He was accused of having struck a woman in the building of the executive branch. Human rights organizations recognize him as a political prisoner.

In November 2017, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence to Afghan Sadygov from 2.5 to 1.5 years of imprisonment. However, in December 2017, a lawsuit on defamation filed by the former head of the Jalilabad region Aziz Azizov (now the head of the Yasamal district) was renewed against him. A hearing on Azizov"s lawsuit has been scheduled for May 4 at 4 pm in the Jalilabad District Court.

Sadygov's wife said her husband suffers from hypertension and heart disease. "On April 26, his blood pressure soared and he was in convulsions in front of the head of Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1, but the official did not react to this," Sadygova said.

The Deputy Chief of the Main Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice Iftikhar Gurbanov claims that Afghan Sadygov is receiving treatment and he is under medical supervision. So, in April he received treatment at the Central Hospital of the Penitentiary Service. At the same time, Gurbanov confirmed that Sadygov suffers from blood pressure and regularly takes medicines. "If he follows the recommendations of doctors, the pressure will be normal," Gurbanov assured.

The press secretary of the Penitentiary Service Mehman Sadygov denied information that the journalist is on a hunger strike. "Afghan Sadygov is currently in the Jalilabad district court. Regardless of the identity and reasons for bringing to criminal responsibility, everyone must comply with the rules of the Penitentiary Service," he told Turan. -03B06-