Talekh Bagirzade, leader of "Muslim Unity", goes on hunger strike in jail

Talekh Bagirzade, the convicted leader of the "Muslim Unity" Movement (MUM), has gone on a hunger strike, demanding to punish the law enforcers, who, according to supporters of the movement, had blasphemed while torturing believers. Law enforcement bodies reject the allegations of torture and blasphemy.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 25, 2017, Talekh Bagirzade, the MUM leader, and 17 of his supporters were sentenced to prison terms from 10 to 20 years on charges of organizing riots after the law enforcers' operation conducted in November 2015.

Talekh Bagirzade, who is kept in the roofed Gobustan Prison with a particularly strict custody regime, has gone on a hunger strike.

"On June 3, Talekh Bagirzade started his hunger strike, and officially informed the prison administration about it. He is protesting against insulting Allah by law enforcers. Not only are believers being tortured by the police, but their tormentors have begun insulting Allah. Talekh Bagirzade treats it unacceptable from the morality viewpoint and insulting Muslim believers' feelings. He demands to punish those responsible," Elchin Gasymov, a MUM Deputy Chairman, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Bagirzade's wife, Leyla Ismailzade, has confirmed to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent her husband's hunger strike. She has explained that the fact of insulting the Allah by law enforcers was committed on May 20, when the believers detained near the building of the Baku Court for Grave Crimes were tortured.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 7, 2022 at 00:25 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.