Hunger strikers in Dagestan demand to return them to Azerbaijan

For the fourth day, the Azerbaijani citizens living in a tent camp on the border with Dagestan, are on a hunger strike demanding to speed up their return home. At least 60 people participate in the protest, they have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 2, 619 Azerbaijani citizens remained on the border with Dagestan after 120 their fellow countrymen were taken across the border to their homeland. People are building self-made housing and suffer from heat and unsanitary conditions, said Asim Tagiev, a resident of the tent camp.

Now, there are 336 people in the tent camp; about 120 others are in an unauthorized camp near the village of Kullar, Fuad Shikhiev, the acting head of the Derbent District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "They decided to stay in this place and want the Azerbaijani party to pay attention to them. They've gone on a hunger strike," the municipal official have explained, stressing that it's up to Azerbaijani authorities to open the border and decide on how many people will be able to return home.

Gani Panaev, a public figure on Azerbaijanis' affairs in Derbent, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that about 60 people are taking part in the protest hunger strike.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 7, 2020 at 02:43 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.