13 April 2021, 22:27
OPHRD launches a campaign in defence of Elchin Mamed
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to immediately release journalist Elchin Mamed and provide him with adequate medical care and treatment. A mother of the imprisoned journalist called his health state severe.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 16, 2020, a court found Elchin Mamed guilty of theft and illegal possession of weapons and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment. On February 20, the court of appeal upheld the verdict without considering “obvious inconsistencies,” an advocate said.
In late March, 2021, human rights defenders appealed to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of Azerbaijan with a request to transfer Elchin Mamed to a medical institution of the Penitentiary Service in connection with his health problems. On April 8, the mother of Elchin Mamed declared that his health state was deteriorating, while the problem of his transfer to a hospital was being delayed.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), which is a joint programme of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has prepared a petition to the Azerbaijan’s authorities calling to provide Elchin Mamed with adequate medical care and treatment.
The activist is being kept in a penal colony, where his health state has deteriorated sharply due to the lack of adequate medical care. The OPHRD states that the health state of Elchin Mamed is of particular concern because of his chronic illness.
The human rights defenders have urged the authorities of Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release Elchin Mamed and provide him with access to adequate medical care. The OPHRD calls the Elchin Mamed’s case “a symbol of serious and widespread abuse and intimidation of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan.”
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 13, 2021 at 07:38 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
