11:07, 23 February 2021

Journalist Polad Aslanov placed under medical supervision

Polad Aslanov. Photo https://xeberdar.net/9980-bu-gun-taninmish-jurnalistin-ad-gunudur.html

On the 22nd day of his hunger strike, after he was visited by a doctor and Red Cross officials, Polad Aslanov, an Azerbaijani journalist, has been placed under medical supervision, his wife has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 16, 2020, the court sentenced Polad Aslanov, the editor-in-chief of the Internet editions "Xeberman.com" and "Press-az.com", to 16 years in prison within a treason case. On February 1, 2021, Aslanov went on a hunger strike, demanding to transfer him to house arrest. On February 6, Aslanov's wife reported that his condition had worsened.

The human rights organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RWB) has called on Azerbaijani authorities to provide urgent medical help to Aslanov. He was put on the list of political prisoners of the Union "For Freedom of Political Prisoners". In October 2020, the "Committee to Protect Journalists" (CPJ) also called to release Aslanov.

The colony managers urge Aslanov to stop his hunger strike and points out its harm to his health, but he wouldn't agree at all, said his wife Gyulmira.

"The doctor said that Polad's body was very weak; he could fall into a coma at any moment," she has added.

Gyulnara has noted that she was not allowed to visit her husband. "I was told that the 14-day quarantine was not over; therefore, visits and telephone conversations are inadmissible. I am very worried about my husband. He is relentless and demands justice," Gyulmira Aslanova has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 22, 2021 at 06:02 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent