A hunger strike of life prisoners started in Azerbaijan

On June 26, 2006, 109 life prisoners in Gobustan prison (Azerbaijan) started another hunger strike demanding that their sentences should be reviewed.

Leila Yunus, human rights activist, informed the "Caucasian Knot" that many of the prisoners suffer from different chronic diseases. 6 of the hunger strikers are aged 65, 70, 72, 75, etc.

This time, political prisoners Amiraslanov Yelchin and Kerimov Keramat have joined the hunger strikers. They all demand that their cases should be considered and the constitutional rights, which they claim have been violated, restored.

Leila Yunus states that Sadagat Agaev, director of the prison, having learnt about another hunger strike action, started hindering them in every way he could. "Starting from June 15, 2006, with no explanations or pretexts he began filling the prison lockup with prisoners. They put 3 or 4 prisoners into double lockups, the information of the Azeri human rights activist runs, if one takes into account that in June the climate in the world, including Baku, warms up (+40 degrees Centigrade in the shade), it is easy to imagine what happens there."

According to the human rights activist, 2 dead bodies are found in the cells each week. "Gobustan prison has turned into a Fascist concentration camp. Lawlessness reigns in the prison at the moment, writes the human rights activist, inmates are being killed without court hearings or investigation. The prison director threatens to do them in every day. They either beat them without any reason or inspect their cells and throw out all possessions, taking away the last food from the prisoners."

According to Leila Yunus, the prisoners repeatedly applied in writing to appropriate agencies on the issue of violations in the prison. However, their letters were destroyed and they were severely punished.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in Azerbaijan reported that, following the last year action of prisoner, their case had been considered but the courts took negative rulings, confirming their life sentences. This issue is in the focus of attention of human rights activists, authorities and various experts.