10:59, 4 May 2020

Azerbaijani activist Gumbatov left in mental hospital for another month

Agil Gumbatov. Screenshot of Gumbatov's video appeal to the President of Azerbaijan on March 13, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh0LMm-tKug

Agil Gumbatov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), who was placed into a psychiatric hospital, has been left there for another month, his wife said.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 30, Gumbatov was forced into a psychiatric clinic for compulsory treatment. The PFPA said that the reason was in his criticism of the country's authorities. On April 1, Gumbatov was discharged, but he was detained and returned to the clinic. It happened after he told on the Facebook about the circumstances of his detention and criticized the situation in the mental clinic.

Aigyun Gumbatova, his wife, is convinced that her husband is "absolutely sane and healthy."

Nemat Kerimli, the activist's advocate, said the defence has not yet managed to appeal against the court's decision on his hospitalization.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, is sure that Gumbatov was isolated into the clinic for political reasons.

In 2009, the Committee against Torture (CaT) of the Council of Europe reported that patients of the mental clinic located in the village of Mashtaga complained about ill-treatment by orderlies and nurses.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 3, 2020 at 04:08 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent