Three Activists Start Hunger Strike in Solidarity with Mehman Huseynov

Baku / 04.01.18 / Turan: Three activists began a hunger strike in solidarity with blogger Mehman Huseynov, who has not taken food in prison since December 26 in protest against the new charges against him.

On January 4, Tofig Yagublu, a member of the Board of the Musavat Party, and Elshan Hasanov, head of the Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners, joined the hunger strike.

Yagublu said he began a hunger strike demanding the release of Mehman Huseynov and other political prisoners. Yagublu intends to hold the first days of the hunger strike "on his feet", and then continue the action at the headquarters of Musavat.

Hasanov also began the action on January 4. He also demands the release of all political prisoners.

Earlier, on January 3, PFPA activist Tofig Mammadli began a hunger strike in solidarity with Huseynov.

* Mehman Huseynov was arrested in March 2017 and sentenced to 2 years in prison under a libel suit filed by the head of the Nasimi district police. On December 26, he was charged with a new charge of beating a prison employee and placed in a punishment cell. In protest, he went on a dry hunger strike. On December 30, the blogger"s health condition deteriorated sharply, and he fainted. After that, at the insistence of his relatives, he stopped the dry hunger strike and began to take water.

Human rights activists are convinced that Huseynov is being persecuted for exposing corruption among high-ranking officials, as well as criticizing the authorities. -06D--