Oppositionist Vagif Abdullaev died in a prison hospital in Azerbaijan

Deputy Chairman of Islamic party of Azerbaijan (IPA) Vagif Abdullaev who was serving penalty in prison for accusation of committing a number of grave crimes died this morning at the age of 61 in a medical center of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan.

Another Deputy Chairman of IPA Akif Geidarli told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Abdullaev died from a grave oncological disease, blood cancer.

Abdullaev was detained in January of 2011 together with a group of other IPA activists and put to administrative arrest with them. Criminal charges of terrorism, illegal storage of arms and an attempt of seizure of power were later brought against the arrested persons. In October of 2011 Abdullaev was sentenced to 11 years of custody.

According to Geidarli, Abdullaev had no diagnosis of oncological disease until arrest.

"Vagiv Abdullaev suffered from asthma and periodically had allergic fits but nothing was known of any oncological disease until his arrest. The disease might have had a latent form and show itself in custody after the stresses he underwent from a forged accusation and unfair sentence. Although there was no physical pressure on Vagiv Abdullaev emotional pain had a negative impact on his health", Geidarli said.

Speaking of the quality of medical aid rendered to Abdullaev Geidarli said that "the disease was incurable all the same". At the same time he emphasized that blood cancer was finally diagnosed only a short time before his death. He expressed regret about consideration of motions of Abdullaev's release to let him spend his last days calmly having been late.

His body was taken to the morgue of "Azersu" company hospital for forensic medical examination to find out possible violent actions. According to Geidarli, Abdullaev's relatives and comrades had no complaints of this kind. After the respective procedures Abdullaev's body was given out to his relatives for burial.

Penal service produces no comments on Abdullaev's death and its cause explaining that the medical center is not its unit but directly subordinate to the Ministry of Justice.

A number of local human rights organizations including the Institute of Peace and Democracy acknowledged Abdullaev political prisoner. He was also on the list of political prisoners of PACE reporter Christopher Strasser whose report contained a call for the authorities of Azerbaijan to release all the political prisoners.