US State Department and PACE co-rapporteurs urge to release Rustamov

Azerbaijani authorities must release Salekh Rustamov, who is on his hunger strike in jail and who is close to death, the US State Department has stated. It is necessary to reconsider the case of Rustamov and those of other political prisoners, the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Azerbaijan have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 6, Salekh Rustamov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), went on a hunger strike in protest against his non-coverage by the recently announced amnesty. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has sent a request to Azerbaijani authorities about the state of health of the prisoner. Authorities had ignored numerous appeals, the activist's advocate stated on December 11, on the 36th day of Salekh's hunger strike.

Ned Price, an official of the US State Department, has expressed his deep concern on the Twitter about reports of Rustamov's deteriorating health condition.

Stephan Schennach (Austria) and Richard Bacon (Great Britain), the PACE's co-rapporteurs, have also expressed serious concern over Rustamov's condition. They called his case one of many examples of the lack of independent justice in Azerbaijan.

Referring to the PACE's resolution, they called on the country's authorities to reconsider the cases of political prisoners and immediately release Rustamov on humanitarian grounds.

Let us note here that on December 11, the police thwarted another action in support of Rustamov. Eleven people were detained, and one of the activists was injured by policemen.