23:49, 14 April 2025

Rights defenders alarmed by deterioration of Azerbaijani oppositionist Yagublu’s health state during his hunger strike

Tofig Yagublu. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The “Amnesty International” human rights organization has called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release and provide medical care to convicted oppositionist Tofig Yagublu, whose health state has deteriorated during his hunger strike.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on April 1, Tofig Yagublu announced an indefinite hunger strike in protest against the sentence. His health state has deteriorated amid his refusal to accept food.

Tofig Yagublu is a member of the coordinating centre of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) and the “Musavat” Party. On March 10, the court sentenced Tofig Yagublu to nine years of imprisonment for fraud and document forgery. Tofig Yagublu claimed that his persecution was politically motivated. The case materials contain no evidence of the Tofig Yagublu’s guilt, the defence insists.

The authorities of Azerbaijan must immediately and unconditionally release Tofig Yagublu and urgently provide him with medical care, since his health state is deteriorating, the “Amnesty International” (AI) human rights organization states.

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, has noted that Tofig Yagublu “has long been a target to politically motivated persecution and abuse by the Azerbaijani authorities.”

“This time, it’s not just his freedom that is at stake, but also his health and life. His condition is deteriorating significantly, and every day counts,” Marie Struthers is quoted as stating.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 12, 2025 at 09:09 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot