Activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been put in solitary confinement and started a hunger strike

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev

His brother, Vugar Hajiyev, told Meydan TV and shared on social media on November 25 that Bakhtiyar is now in a karser (punitive cell) at Prison Facility No. 6. He began refusing food three days ago.

What happened?

Vugar explained that after Bakhtiyar returned to the Baku Investigation Isolator, he asked the head of Prison Facility No. 6, Fariz Aliyev, for a proper place to stay. Aliyev refused, giving excuses. Bakhtiyar then wrote to the Minister of Justice, Farid Ahmadov, and the head of the Penitentiary Service, Mirsaleh Seyidov, asking to be transferred.

When Bakhtiyar tried to turn in these letters, a deputy chief named Gündüz reportedly pushed him, insulted him, and tore up the papers. This led to a fight, and Bakhtiyar was put in solitary confinement.

Health concerns and official reaction

Vugar is worried about his brother because Bakhtiyar is already in poor health, and the hunger strike is making his mental state worse. Vugar holds Fariz Aliyev responsible for Bakhtiyar's health, even saying that he is pushing him towards suicide.

Vugar said he has contacted the Ministry of Justice, the Penitentiary Service, and the Ombudsman's Office several times since November 23, but has not gotten a good response. The Ministry of Justice and other groups have not commented on these recent complaints. In the past, the Penitentiary Service has said that they treat all prisoners fairly and within the law.

Why is he in prison?

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been in custody since December 9, 2022.

In January 2023, the Baku Court for Serious Crimes sentenced him to 10 years in prison and took away his apartment and bank savings. The Baku Court of Appeal agreed with the decision on April 7, 2023.

He was initially charged with hooliganism and disrespecting the court. Later, he was also charged with illegal business activities, laundering money, smuggling, using fake documents, and avoiding taxes.

Bakhtiyar says he is innocent and that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vilayat Eyvazov, ordered his arrest because he had criticized the Minister in public before. The Ministry of Internal Affairs denies this.