Azerbaijani activist Alizamin Salaev achieves transfer to colony medical unit

On August 10, Alizamin Salaev, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), will be transferred to the medical unit of the colony where he is serving his term, his son has informed. However, the medical unit has no equipment and facilities for treating serious diseases, but the custody conditions there are better, human rights defenders have explained.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Alizamin Salaev, who is serving his term on charges of libel and insult after spreading a video criticizing a policeman on social media, reported about beatings in the colony. On August 6, the court refused to early release Salaev. On the same day, he ended his hunger strike after the colony bosses assured him that in the coming days he would be transferred to the colony medical unit or the hospital of the Penitentiary Service.

According to Ogtai Salaev, Alizamin's son, his father's health condition improved, and on August 7 and 8, he had no heart attacks.

The difference between the colony medical unit and the hospital of the Penitentiary Service was explained by Rasul Djafarov, the head of the Baku Human Rights Club, who himself had served his prison term and was announced to be a political prisoner. "The hospital is a full-fledged one, with all the equipment for examinations, while the medical unit treats mild diseases," he said.

The medical unit has no opportunities to treat grave illnesses, said Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners.