Former Opposition Newspaper Employee on 18th Day of Dry Hunger Strike in Prison

Former Mukhalifat newspaper employee Yashar Agazade, who is serving his sentence at Correctional Facility No. 6 in Azerbaijan, has entered the 18th day of a dry hunger strike after being placed in a punishment cell (“kars”) on July 2.

His wife, Aygun Ismayilli, told Meydan TV that Agazade began the protest after being sent to the punishment cell and that prison authorities are now seeking to transfer him to a closed-regime prison.

According to Ismayilli, prison officials told Agazade that the disciplinary measure was imposed because of a letter he had written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“His lawyer visited him today. He said Yashar is still continuing the hunger strike. They are now saying they want to transfer him to a closed-regime prison. They also told him that the reason he was placed in the punishment cell was the letter he wrote,” she said.

Ismayilli stated that her husband was initially sentenced to 10 days in the punishment cell, but the disciplinary measure was later extended by another 10 days.

She also alleged that prison officials repeatedly denied that Agazade was on hunger strike and insisted he was in good condition.

“For days, the prison administration told us there was no hunger strike and that he was fine. Later, another person from inside the prison informed us that Yashar’s condition was serious and urged us to come immediately. We went there for several days but were not allowed to see him. Eventually, our lawyer was able to meet him,” she said.

According to Ismayilli, she has appealed to Mirsaleh Seyidov, head of the Penitentiary Service, the governor of Correctional Facility No. 6, Fariz Aliyev, and Azerbaijan’s Ombudsperson, seeking information about her husband’s condition, but says she has received no response.

Yashar Agazade was sentenced on April 15, 2024, to five years and one month in prison. His sentence was later increased by an additional five months, bringing the total to five years and six months.

He was convicted under Article 182.2.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, which concerns repeated extortion.

At the time of publication, Azerbaijani prison authorities had not publicly commented on the allegations regarding Agazade’s placement in a punishment cell, his hunger strike, or his reported health condition.