12 July 2006, 19:31
Authorities of Azerbaijan admitted the fact of hunger strike of the prisoners at Gobustan prison
In his interview to Radio Liberty, a senior official of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan admitted the fact of hunger strike held by the inmates of the Gobustan prison. But the official insisted that only three life convicts are on the action.
However, the inmates overturn the information saying that much more people are taking part in the action. According to the sources close to the inmates' families, the political prisoner Aliyusif Tairov was placed in the isolated cell (lock up) for the third time within the latest 16 days, as he demanded that the prison top managers admit the fact of his hunger-strike.
Meanwhile, the officers of the Ministry of Justice insist that there were no facts of putting hunger-strikers into the lock up. Several inmates, who were on hunger strike since June 26, stopped it on Sunday due to their poor health and lack of medical care.
At the same time, on Monday July 10, other inmates rejoined the hunger-strike: Mekhman Muradov, a Chernobyl invalid, and Bakhtiyar Dzhafarov. A total of 16 jailed for life inmates are holding hunger strike today.
July 11, Elchin Bekhbudov, a human rights activist, visited the Gobustan prison and held a meeting with the inmates.
We remind you that at present the Gobustan prison cages 89 persons, for whom the death penalty was replaced by life imprisonment. In recent years, these inmates insist that their life sentence should be reconsidered in favour of a limited term, since as of the moment of their conviction the legislation had no punishment in the form of life imprisonment.
Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent
