11:59, 2 July 2020

Court leaves Azerbaijani oppositionist Babek Gasanov in custody

The court has refused to apply the conditional early relief (CER) to Babek Gasanov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), explaining that he had been placed into the dungeon (punishment cell) for violating the discipline.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Babek Gasanov, the head of the Narimanov District branch of the PFPA, was sentenced to three years in prison. In May 2019, his brother stated that Babek had been subjected to inhuman treatment in the colony and added that his attitude towards the activist had improved after his complaints were publicized in the media. On May 17, 2020, Babek Gasanov went on a hunger strike in protest against the pressure on him and other prisoners, his brother Djavid Gasanli has stated.

On June 23, the Union "For Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" recognized Babek Gasanov as a political prisoner in the category of "Members of Opposition Parties and Movements".

The defence intends to appeal against the court decision, the "Freeazerbaijan.info" reports.

Let us remind you that Babek Gasanov was also among the 108 persons in the updated list of political prisoners, which was updated in June by the working group of the Azerbaijani human rights defenders, NGO activists and lawyers.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 2, 2020 at 07:08 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.