BCA leaves opposition leader Salaev in colony

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has denied the defence's motion against the refusal to apply the conditional early relief (CER) to Alizamin Salaev, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). The activist is on a hunger strike for the 29th day, demanding to punish the colony staff for torturing him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 9, Salaev was placed into the dungeon (punishment cell) after he refused to sign a pardoning appeal. On September 21, Salaev called his son and said that he had been tortured twice in the colony dungeon, and that he went on a hunger strike in protest. Salaev said that the reason for keeping him for 10 days in the dungeon was in his refusal to apply for quitting the PFPA and condemn the party's activities.

According to Elchin Sadygov, an advocate, the court dismissed the complaint based on the negative characterization of Salaev by colony bosses. "The conclusion reads that Salaev ... 'is inclined to violate the colony regime,' because of which 'he was repeatedly subjected to disciplinary punishments'," said the advocate.

Rufat Safarov, the head of the NGO "Defence Line", has treated the court's ruling as biased. "In cases of political prisoners, colony bosses give negative characteristics; while courts reject all the motions," he has stated.

Ogtai Salaev, Alizamin's son, has expressed concern about his father's health condition.

Seimur Khazi, a PFPA deputy chairman, has treated the torture and the refusal to apply the CER to Salaev as "a political revenge" on the oppositionist.