Father of Azerbaijani blogger Mekhman Guseinov tells about meeting his son in SIZO

Mekhman Guseinov continues refusing food and looks unhealthy, said his father Rafig Guseinov, who has first visited his son at the SIZO (pre-trial prison) after he went on a hunger strike. The blogger completely denies the new charges, his father has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 26, Mekhman Guseinov announced a dry hunger strike in the colony in protest against the new criminal case initiated against him. On January 1, Guseinov's father tried to visit son at the SIZO, but was not allowed. Mekhman has severely undermined his health when on the hunger strike, his brother and advocate have stated.

The father has persuaded his son to take a grocery parcel and stop his hunger strike.

Today, the blogger at the SIZO was also visited by members of the Public Oversight Committee (POC) for Monitoring Jails under the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

According to Sakhib Mamedov, the head of the Labour Rights League, the blogger did not complain about the custody conditions of detention, but expressed outrage at the new charges.

Rauf Zeini, another POC member and the President of the National Forum of NGOs, has assessed Guseinov's state of health as positive.

Ogtai Gyulyalyev, the coordinator of the Centre for the Protection of Political Prisoners (CPPP), doubted the objectivity of POC members, as it includes "members of pro-governmental NGOs."

"Now, against the background of international criticism because of the new case against Guseinov and his hunger strike, the authorities want to show that everything is OK with him," Mr Gyulyalyev has explained.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern about the new criminal prosecution of Mekhman Guseinov.