Azerbaijan activist Ramil Babayev's health worsens on prison hunger strike

Ramil Babayev

The health of detained Azerbaijani activist Ramil Babayev has deteriorated significantly after he resumed a hunger strike in a Baku detention facility, his family says.

Babayev, an employee of the independent Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), has been refusing food since 25 May.

His family visited him on Saturday, 30 May, and urged him to halt the protest, but relatives said he refused to stop until his demands were met.

They added that other inmates had also tried to persuade him to end the strike, but without success.

According to his relatives, Babayev has faced mounting pressure from authorities at the Baku Detention House.

The prison administration warned him that if he did not end his hunger strike, the conditions and treatment of other prisoners would be made even harder," a relative said.

The family said Babayev shared this information during a brief telephone call, which was cut off before he could finish speaking.

Babayev first went on a hunger strike in late April, ending it after eight days when prison officials reportedly agreed to some of his demands.

However, his family said he resumed the protest on 25 May after allegedly witnessing another inmate being subjected to violence by prison staff.

His demands include an end to torture and ill-treatment, improved sanitary conditions in punishment cells, the proper forwarding of prisoner complaints, and a halt to the secret monitoring of political prisoners' meetings.

Azerbaijan's Penitentiary Service did not respond to requests for comment regarding Babayev's condition or the allegations of pressure.

The agency has previously stated that all detainees in its correctional and investigative facilities are treated in strict accordance with the law.

Babayev is being held as part of the "ToplumTV case", a widening crackdown on independent media and civil society that began in March 2024.

Eight people associated with the independent online news channel ToplumTV and partner organisations have been arrested, facing charges including smuggling, money laundering, and tax evasion.

The defendants, who face up to 12 years in prison if convicted, deny all the charges and say the prosecution is politically motivated.

Azerbaijani authorities consistently reject accusations of holding political prisoners, maintaining that no one is imprisoned for their professional activities or political beliefs.

However, local human rights groups estimate that there are currently around 340 political prisoners in Azerbaijan's detention facilities.