Polad Aslanov's wife claims pressure on journalist in colony

The colony staff has taken away cigarettes and bottled water from the journalist, Polad Aslanov, in order to force him to stop his hunger strike, Polad's wife has stated. For seven months already, the Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan has not accepted a complaint against the verdict for consideration; this violates Aslanov's rights, Yalchin Imanov, a lawyer, asserts.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 6, Polad Aslanov, the editor-in-chief of the Xeberman.com and Press-az.com, went on a hunger strike demanding a review of his case. In December, 2021, Aslanov complained about the lack of conditions for providing him with the due medical care.

On November 16, 2020, the court sentenced Polad Aslanov to 16 years in prison under the case of treason. In the opinion of his wife, they create problems for him in colony to force him to write a pardoning petition.

Gyulmira Aslanova, his wife, said that her husband continues his hunger strike for the fifth day.

"I was told that Polad is continuing his hunger strike; and it is already affecting his health. Polad is under pressure. They took away his cigarettes and bottled water so that he would end the hunger strike. They know that without cigarettes, the hunger strike is harder. And the tap water is of poor quality. Therefore, taking away cigarettes and clean bottled water, they want to force Polad to end the hunger strike. Obviously, for these reasons, he was deprived of the opportunity to contact us," Gyulmira Aslanova has concluded.