Azerbaijani blogger Guseinov transferred to SIZO after new charges

The blogger Mekhman Guseinov was transferred from the colony to the Baku SIZO (pre-trial prison) in connection with the new criminal case opened against him, his advocate said on December 31.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 3, 2017, Mekhman Guseinov was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of slander, because he had declared torture after his detention. On December 26, the country's Penitentiary Service stated that two months before the end of his prison term, Guseinov was trying to prevent a search and beat up a prison employee. Human rights defenders believe that a new case has been brought against Guseinov out of revenge for his statements. On December 26, Guseinov was placed into a dungeon (punishment cell), where he went on a hunger strike; and his advocates stated that Guseinov's health condition had deteriorated sharply.

According to Mekhman's relatives, on December 30, he was transferred from Colony No. 14 to the Baku SIZO-1, situated in the village of Kyurdakhany, Shakhla Gumbatova, one of the advocates, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The members of Mekhman Guseinov's family were notified that yesterday (on December 30) he was transferred to the Baku SIZO-1 in Kyurdakhany in connection with the preliminary investigation of the new criminal case," she said, adding that a doctor was called to Guseinov and made some injections."

According to her story, she has no information on whether Guseinov continues his hunger strike.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 31, 2018 at 04:52 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.