Punishment of Samedov, leader of Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, toughened

Movsum Samedov has been transferred to the Gobustan closed prison for three years, said his advocate Yalchin Imanov.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that members of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA) were arrested in January 2011. On October 7, 2011, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes found them guilty, among other things, of terrorism and a putsch attempt. Samedov was sentenced to 12 years in prison. On July 12, 2012, Samedov's deputy Vagif Abdullaev, who was sentenced to 11 years, died in prison.

In November 2016, upon returning to colony from Gobustan prison, Movsum Samedov was repeatedly placed into dungeon (punishment cell), which led to deterioration of his health, said the advocate.

Today, the Karadag District Court of Baku has decided to transfer Samedov from Colony No. 12 into the Gobustan Prison. According to advocate Imanov, the colony administration stated Samedov's "systematic violations" of jail discipline and order.

"Provocations against Samedov began immediately after he returned to the colony," Imanov has stated, noting that over the past six months, Samedov was repeatedly put into the dungeon on far-fetched pretexts.

Yalchin Imanov has explained that while in colony, prisoners live in a barrack-dormitory and have a certain freedom of movement; however, at Gobustan Prison are completely isolated and kept in cells; they are allowed only to have 15-minute-long outdoor walks.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, is sure that Samedov is persecuted for his religious beliefs.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.