Azerbaijani journalist Aslanov ends his hunger strike

Convicted journalist Polad Aslanov ended his lengthy hunger strike in Azerbaijan after the deputy head of the Penitentiary Service promised him a medical examination and the lifting of restrictions on contact with his family.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on September 17, Polad Aslanov's wife reported that her husband was on his 20th day of hunger strike and was experiencing kidney pain, but an official statement about the hunger strike had not yet been registered.

Polad Aslanov ended his 23-day hunger strike on September 21, the wife of convicted prisoner Gulmira Aslanova told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent today.

She explained that her husband ended his hunger strike after he was received in the penal colony by Deputy Head of the Penitentiary Service Fikret Gafarov.

He told me this himself by phone.

"Polad was promised that he would undergo a medical examination and that the ban on meetings and phone calls with his family would be lifted. He told me this himself by phone," said Gulmira Aslanova.

According to her, as a result of Aslanov's hunger strike, which began on August 29, the journalist's health worsened, and he developed tinnitus. wheezing, asthma attacks at night, and insomnia. However, during his hunger strike, he was not isolated from other prisoners or placed under medical observation.

Representatives of the Penitentiary Service were unavailable for comment, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported.

As a reminder, on November 16, 2020, a court sentenced Polad Aslanov to 16 years in prison, finding him guilty of treason. The journalist's appeal was dismissed, and the cassation court reduced his sentence by three years, to 13 years. The wife of a convicted man believes her husband is being persecuted for covering human rights violations and the cases of political prisoners.

In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest level in the country's 23 years of membership in the Council of Europe, according to a "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points to the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." Meanwhile, Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.