Gobustan prisoners go on hunger strike

Ten lifers went on hunger strike demanding commute of their punishment to 15-year of imprisonment, Penitentiary Service public affairs department's chief Rafig Ramazanov told APA.

Rafig Ramazamov refuted the reports on protest actions held by prisoners on bad detaining conditions. He also said that to go on hunger strike is prisoners' right.

"We can not stand against that. As to meting their demands, we are not responsible for that."

Rfaig Ramazanov also promised that prisoners' health will be taken under control of doctors.

One of the strikers, life-term prisoner Dayanat Karimov accused of former vice–speaker Afiyaddin Jalilov's assassination appealed to President Ilham Aliyev. Dayanat Karimov went on hunger strike to draw the attention to the illegality of his sentence, prisoner’s sister Nubar Karimova told.

The prisoner wants to be condemned by the new amendments made to the Criminal Code which presupposes 15-year term instead of life-term. Prisoner Dayanat Karimov thinks that his sentence meets neither international law nor Azerbaijan Constitution and the new Criminal Code.

The prisoner demands authorities to take necessary steps taking into account the groundlessness of his sentence. The prisoner also appealed to the Council of Europe, Human Rights Watch, Azerbaijan's Justice Minister Fikrat Mammadov and rights activists.

Namig Aliyev, Ali Guliyev, Bakhtiyar Jafarov, Rahib Mammadov, Chingiz Pashayev, Natig Mirzayev and other prisoners went on strike, the relatives of prisoners.

Justice Ministry’s penitentiary service will make public the prisoners' names after specification.