Azerbaijani opposition activist placed to psychiatric hospital

Agil Gumbatov, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been sent for compulsory treatment after criticizing the authorities of Azerbaijan on social networks. This was claimed by a spouse of Agil Gumbatov and his political associates.

Aigyun Gumbatova, a wife of Agil Gumbatov, said that on March 29, her husband criticized the country's authorities by posting a video appeal to the Azerbaijani President. In his video appeal, Agil Gumbatov stands in front of an unfinished house, holds a child in his arms, and emotionally addresses the leader of the country. Agil Gumbatov accuses the country's authorities that he cannot cure his sick child and support his family normally because of shortage of money.

On March 30, people in civilian clothes grabbed Agil Gumbatov in the street, forced him into their car, and drove him away to some unknown destination. Later it became known that he was placed in a psychiatric hospital in the village of Mashtaga in a suburb of Baku, the wife of Agil Gumbatov reports.

The woman emphasized that a year ago her husband was arrested for 30 days after he had posted a similar critical speech on social networks. Aigyun Gumbatova claims that her husband never suffered from any mental disorders.

"Instead of listening to people's problems in a difficult moment and helping them, the authorities punish them. Placement of dissidents to psychiatric hospitals is a practice of sad Soviet-era experience. It seems that this shameful practice has remained in the past. However, our authorities do not hesitate to resort to similar methods," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Gezyal Bairamly, the deputy chair of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA).

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 31, 2020 at 12:53 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.