Azerbaijani opposition declares hunger strike in prison, his brother reports

On May 17, Azerbaijani oppositionist Babek Gasanov went on hunger strike in protest against pressure on him and other prisoners, his brother Djavid Gasanli reported. The Public Relations Department of the Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service denied the above information.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Babek Gasanov, the head of the Narimanov District branch of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. In May 2019, the brother of PFPA member Babek Gasanov reported that the latter had been subjected to inhuman treatment in a penal colony. The brother of Babek Gasanov reported that the treatment of the activist in the penal colony improved after the media had made public his complaints about pressure. In March, the human rights NGO "Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" (UFPPA) recognized Babek Gasanov as a political prisoner.

"On May 18, Babek said that the administration of the penal colony had renewed pressure on him. Thus, the administration applies a tacit ban for other prisoners on talking to Babek. Those who contact Babek are subjected to pressure," said Djavid Gasanli, the brother of the sentenced activist.

According to Djavid Gasanli, one of the prisoners was placed to a punishment cell after talking to Babek. "In protest against all that, Babek wrote a claim about the beginning of his hunger strike," Djavid Gasanli said. He fears for his brother's health state.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, who himself was a "prisoner of conscience," notes that political prisoners might be isolated from other prisoners. "Such cases do happen. Earlier, they sought to isolate journalist Afghan Mukhtarly by putting pressure on those who talked to him," Elshan Gasanov said.