Editor-in-chief of "Tolyshi Sado" dies in Azerbaijani prison hospital

Today, in Azerbaijan, Novruzali Mamedov, head of the Talysh Cultural Centre and editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Tolyshi Sado" (Voice of Talysh) died in the prison hospital.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Khilal Mamedov, head of the committee in defence of Novruzali Mamedov's rights, that Novruzali's wife was telephoned from the hospital and informed about her husband's death.

Ramiz Mamedov, Novruzali's advocate, has also confirmed his client's death.

As reported by Elchin Bekhbudov, head of the local Committee against Torture, with reference to the officials of the Penitentiary Service, on Monday at about 5:00 p.m. Mamedov's condition sharply worsened; and doctors failed to save him.

The PR Division of the Penitentiary Service neither confirmed nor refuted the information about Mamedov's death, referring to the absence of official data.

Mr Mamedov had suffered from cardiac insufficiency, hypertension, prostate adenoma and a number of other disorders.

In the end of July, his state of health became much worse; and under the pressure of international organizations he was placed into the prison hospital. His condition was under personal control of the republic's Ombudsperson Elmira Suleimanova.

However, persistent appeals of local human rights activists, international agencies and western diplomats to set the heavily sick Novruzali Mamedov free had remained unheard.