Abzas Media Director Announces Indefinite Hunger Strike in Prison

Convicted Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli has declared an indefinite hunger strike in protest, stating that the Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service is not enforcing court decisions.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on June 20, a Baku court sentenced journalists and employees of the Azerbaijani online publication Abzas Media to lengthy prison terms. The publication's director Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, economist Farid Mehralizade received 9 years in prison, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gaimova - 8 years, and Mohammed Kekalov - 7 years.

As the journalist's relatives told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, on July 3 the court granted the petition of lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova to return Gasanli from the Umbaki Penitentiary Complex to Baku SIZO-1, but the penitentiary service is not implementing this decision.

"Earlier Gasanli had already held a 9-day hunger strike with a similar demand and stopped it after his convicted female colleagues from Abzas Media joined the action, since he was concerned about their health. In addition, he was promised to return to Baku SIZO-1 by July 12," said Gasanli's relative.

The Umbaki Penitentiary Complex is located at a remote distance from Baku, which makes it difficult for family members and lawyers to visit it. In addition, prisoners in the Umbaki facility are not allowed to meet with their relatives in person, which deprives Gasanli of the opportunity to directly communicate with his three-year-old child.

“There are no conditions for meeting with my child here. I am not allowed to see him at all,” Gasanli said in his address to the media.

Gasanli believes that the reason for this appeal is his critical messages from prison. "All this is being done because of our publications, because we draw attention to the poor conditions of detention, inhuman treatment," Gasanli's statement continues.

Gasanli says that he will end his hunger strike only after being transferred to Baku Detention Center No. 1. At the same time, he asked his fellow convicts Sevinj Vagifgizi, Elnara Gasimova and Nargiz Absalamova not to join his hunger strike. "I am very concerned about the damage to their health in the event of a hunger strike. "I will continue the action alone," Gasanli writes.

Gasanli's lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Gasanli's stay in the Umbaki penitentiary complex is unlawful. "According to the verdict of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes of June 20, the defendants in this case must remain in Baku SIZO-1 until the verdict comes into force. In addition, the same court granted the defense's motion to return Gasanli to the detention center," the lawyer said.

Representatives of the Penitentiary Service were not available for comment.

You can read about who the publication's high-profile anti-corruption investigations were dedicated to in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Why Abzas Media Displeased the Azerbaijani Authorities".