Lifers go on hunger strike in Gobustan jail

Nubar Kerimova, sister of one of the lifers, Dayanat Kerimov, who is accused of vice-speaker Afiyaddin Jalilov's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment told the APA that the strike started on March 26.

Kerimova said that the prisoners intend to go on continuous hunger strike and they have concrete demands. Kerimova said her brother protests that his appeal on commuting his life sentence to 15 years imprisonment was not considered.

The letter from Gobustan jail to the APA writes that the prisoners started hunger strike on March 26. The letter says about 15 prisoners are going on hunger strike. Though the letter says that prisoners have different demands, it underlines that all of them demand commuting life sentence to 15 years imprisonment. The hunger strikers also protest that they are isolated from the environment, can not engage in sport and labor and say that it contradicts the resolution #23 adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in 2003. It also says that most of the hunger strikers were on hunger strike last year.

Chief of Gobustan jail Alizade Huseynov refuted reports on hunger strike.

"I would have known, if there were such a problem. Anyway we will investigate the case," he said.

Chief of public affairs department of the Penitentiary Service of Justice Ministry Rafig Ramazanov also told the APA that they were not informed of a hunger strike.

"We were there the day before yesterday. We did not witness hunger strike in the jail," he said.