Azerbaijani Authorities Seek to Move Activist Elvin Mustafayev to Strict-Regime Prison After Hunger Strike

Elvin Mustafayev

Azerbaijani authorities have filed a petition to transfer imprisoned civic activist Elvin Mustafayev to the strict-regime Gobustan Prison, intensifying concerns over punitive measures against political dissent.

On June 3, Correctional Facility No. 6 formally requested the Nizami District Court to approve Mustafayev’s transfer, proposing he serve the remainder of his sentence in Gobustan until August 4, 2026. The hearing is scheduled for June 12 under Judge Nariman Mehdiyev.

Mustafayev, a member of the “Workers’ Desk” Trade Union Confederation, was sentenced to three years in prison on January 31, 2023, for possession of narcotics. Initially charged with intent to distribute, the court later downgraded the accusation to possession without intent to sell. Mustafayev has denied the charges, claiming that the drugs were planted and linking his prosecution to his labor and civic activism.

On May 6, 2025, while detained in Correctional Facility No. 13, Mustafayev began a hunger strike demanding the release of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu and other political prisoners. In response, he was placed in solitary confinement for 14 days and subsequently transferred to Facility No. 6. Although he was expected to be returned to a general cell on May 19, the disciplinary period was extended by 10 days and later prolonged again, keeping him in isolation until at least late June.

According to his lawyer, Zibeyda Sadigova, Mustafayev is currently being held in a punishment cell, and both legal and family visits have been denied.

“On June 4, I attempted to visit Elvin, but the head of the facility, Fariz Aliyev, refused, citing that he was in the disciplinary cell,” Sadigova told Meydan TV. “I’ve filed complaints with the Penitentiary Service and the Ombudsman’s Office.”

Sadigova said she had also requested official documentation related to her client’s confinement but received no response. She plans to return to the facility again this week to seek access.

Mustafayev is one of four members of the “Workers’ Desk” union who remain imprisoned. Human rights organizations recognize him as a political prisoner, part of a growing list of more than 365 such individuals in Azerbaijan, according to recent reports. Government officials, however, continue to deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.

The court’s decision on his possible transfer to Gobustan Prison is expected following the June 12 hearing.