Advisor to "Musavat" leader taken to prison hospital in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, the health condition of Yadigyar Sadygov, an adviser to the head of the "Musavat" Party, who is serving his prison sentence on charges of hooliganism, has deteriorated. He was hospitalized from his colony to the prison hospital of the Ministry of Justice. His defenders believe that his arrest had contributed to exacerbation of his chronic heart disease.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Sadygov was detained on June 27, 2013, on the basis of a complaint lodged by Rashid Kerimov, a resident of the city Lenkoran and a Karabakh War veteran. Kerimov claimed that Sadygov and two of his friends had unjustly insulted and beat him up. On January 13, 2014, the Lenkoran District Court of Azerbaijan found the party activist guilty of hooliganism with the use of a weapon and sentenced him to six years in prison. On July 22, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence down to four years; and on November 13, the Supreme Court – down to 3.5 years.

Sadygov is suffering from a "congenital heart disease", Elman Fattakh, the head of the public committee in defence of Sadygov's rights, the Deputy Chairman and lawyer of the "Musavat" Party, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"On January 31, his disease worsened; and after examination in Colony No. 14, it was decided to place him into the medical institution of the Ministry of Justice," said Fattakh.

"Most probably, his unjust arrest, a long stay in the detention facility, where he lacked fresh air, had contributed to the progression of his disease. Unfortunately, the above courts, which decided on his imprisonment, disregarded the circumstances of his disease," he said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.