Court denies Afghan Mukhtarly's complaint about violation of his rights in colony

In Azerbaijan, the court has considered two complaints about the rights violation of the imprisoned journalist Afghan Mukhtarly. The complaint about the inhuman treatment has been sent to the prosecutor's office for the investigation. The complaint about the restriction of his right to telephone conversations, relatives' visits and receiving books remained unsatisfied.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 12, 2018, the court sentenced Mukhtarly to six years in prison on charges of illegally crossing the border, smuggling and resisting a state official.

"In this October, Afghan was illegally placed into the dungeon (punishment cell), and then kept outdoors in a cold day, after which he fell ill," said Leyla Mustafaeva, Afghan's wife, adding that "illegal actions are obvious. The law has no such a punishment as leaving a prisoner in the open air." These words were confirmed by the advocate Elchin Sadygov.

"Every convict has the right to talk on the phone twice a week and once a week – to be visited by his family members and other persons, who are of legitimate interest to him. Recently, Mukhtarly has been allowed to call only his wife; and they don't allow visits at all," Mr Sadygov has stated.

He also pointed to the illegality of the ban on sending books.