Ogtai Gyulyalyev's wife reports deterioration of his health condition

Azerbaijani human rights defender Ogtai Gyulyalyev, who is being treated in Turkey, has got a new complication: liver problems, but the question concerning further financing of his medical treatment still remains open, his spouse reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 6, Ogtai Gyulyalyev, the coordinator of the Committee against Repression and Torture, who fell victim to a road traffic accident, was transported to a clinic in Istanbul. On December 4, the Committee against Repression and Torture reported that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation decided to stop financing the Ogtai Gyulyalyev's stay at the Istanbul clinic and to return him to Azerbaijan.

Today, Firuza Gyulyalyeva, the spouse of the human rights defender, has reported that that the condition of her husband deteriorated: "Ogtai still stays in serious condition, he is in a coma. He was given injections against infection in his lungs and blood. But now he has got liver problems."

Firuza Gyulyalyeva has noted that the question concerning further financing of her husband's medical treatment still remains open.

"The Ogtai's treatment in Turkey is funded by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. A week ago, agents of the Foundation informed me that they could finance the Ogtai's treatment in Turkey until December 10, and then they were ready to pay for treatment in Azerbaijan only. However, we believe there are no adequate conditions for the medical treatment of such patients like Ogtai in Azerbaijan," explained the spouse of Ogtai Gyulyalyev.

Mekhman Aliev, a member of the Committee against Repression and Torture, the director of the agency "Turan", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the Committee had appealed for help to the EU, the US Department of State, and international human rights organizations.

"We ask them for help in three areas: to invite specialists for medical examination and assessment of the human rights defender's condition, finance medical treatment in Turkey or in one of the European countries, and provide financial support to family members of the human rights defender," Mekhman Aliev said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 6, 2019 at 00:46 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.