Imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist demands independent examination

Mushvig Guseinov, imprisoned journalist of the newspaper "Bizim Yol" (Our Way), who suffers from tuberculosis, is indignant by statements of the officials of the Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service that his health condition has normalized. "They just want me to die," Mushvig said yesterday in a telephone conversation with his relatives, as reported by his sister Dilbyar Guseinova.

According to her story, Mushvig's almost two-month-long treatment at the specialized medical establishment of the Penitentiary Service for TB patients gave no effect. "If the treatment gives no results for a couple of days, it means that the treatment regimen should be changed. However, Mushvig complained that doctors fail to appoint any new treatment," Dilbyar said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

She has noted that her brother wants to be examined by an independent doctor or a specialist from abroad. According to her story, in the last two months Mushvig's body temperature never went below 38 degrees Centigrade.

"My brother is very weak. He has no appetite; he can't eat and is losing weight. Strong cough takes away his last force. His life is in danger, and we want to get him released; he's suffered quite a lot. We hope that the authorities will demonstrate their humanism and set him free," Ms Guseinov? said and added that even if Mushvig refuses to petition about his pardoning, it will be done by his parents.

In his turn, Elchin Bekhbudov, head of the Azerbaijani Committee Against Torture, promised to visit Guseinov next week at the specialized medical establishment of the Penitentiary Service for TB patients. Besides, he has sent an appeal to President Ilham Aliev asking him to pardon the journalist.

Novella Dzhafaroglu, head of the Society in Defence of Women's Rights named after Dilyara Alieva, said that Mushvig Guseinov's health condition is causing concern of the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan. "We plan to meet Minister of Justice Fikret Mamedov and ask him to help in releasing journalist Mushvig Guseinov," she said.

In the meantime, the PR Division of the Penitentiary Service refrains from comments on Guseinov's health condition. As reported by Mekhman Sadygov, head of this division, "medical institutions of the penitentiary system do not subordinate to the bosses of the Penitentiary Service; their bosses are at the Chief Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice."

"However, I can state that treatment of inmates sick with tuberculosis at the specialized medical establishment of the Service is made at high level; for this purpose it is equipped with modern appliances. This establishment is under permanent supervision of the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Therefore, I don't think that Guseinov was not rendered the necessary help there," said Mr Sadygov.

In his turn, Rafael Mekhtiev, head of the Chief Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice, said that "there are no grounds for anxiety and dissemination of rumours about any deterioration of Mushvig Guseinov's health condition."

In the meantime, on December 2, the imprisoned journalist was visited by ICRC physicians.

The Baku-based Red Cross representative office has confirmed this information, but refrained from comments, referring to confidentiality of data on prisoners' health condition.

In his turn, a phthisiotherapist of one of Baku hospitals, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that if really a TB patient has increased temperature for a long time, it is an indication of a very inveterate disease condition.