Azerbaijani political prisoner's appeal: My rights are violated in prison

Azerbaijani political prisoner Elchin Mammad, who has been imprisoned for over two years, appealed to independent media, international human rights structures, foreign embassies and NGOs, asking for help.

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Human rights activist Elchin Mammad, who was arrested in March 2020 on charges of theft and illegal storage of ammunition and weapons, noted in his appeal that he is being held in prison on charges of “crimes he did not committed”.

Elchin Mammad was detained after a complaint by a woman whom he provided legal assistance. Previously, this woman also complained about the editor of one of the independent sites.
Mamed connects the criminal case with his human rights activities. Amnesty International, PEN, FİACAT and others condemned the arrest of Mamad. Local human rights activists recognize him as a political prisoner.

“Along with unjustified arrest, my rights are violated in custody, I am discriminated against. My appeals for mitigation of punishment under far-fetched pretexts are canceled”, the Turan agency quotes an excerpt from the address of a political prisoner.

According to Mammad, he was denied parole after serving one third of his sentence.

“The courts make biased decisions. I am being retaliated for my legal work. At any moment I can be subjected to provocations in prison, and I can be sentenced to additional term”, the activist writes.

Despite the fact that, at the request of the Red Cross, the criminal case against the human rights defender was taken under the supervision of the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office, there are still no results, he notes.

In his appeal, the political prisoner added that his correspondence was censored, the lawyer’s inquiries remained unanswered, and a restriction was imposed on his meetings with family members.

The human rights activist also suffers from hepatitis C and an acute form of prostatitis. “For five months now, he has not been given the results of blood tests and other examinations”, the statement said.