Azerbaijani Labor Activist Aykhan Israfilov on Hunger Strike

Aykhan Israfilov

Aykhan Israfilov, an imprisoned labor rights activist and member of the İşçi Masası (Workers' Table) Trade Union Confederation, is reportedly on a hunger strike at the Baku Investigation Isolator (BIT). He has been refusing food and water for three days.

Israfilov is protesting his confinement in closed-regime conditions and the authorities' refusal to return his confiscated personal items.

His family and İşçi Masası are very concerned about his health. As a disabled person, refusing food and water is quite dangerous for him. His relatives said a phone call with him was cut short, and they can't reach him now.

Background

Israfilov was arrested in August 2023 after he supported a motorcycle courier protest. He was charged with drug possession (Criminal Code Article 234.1.1) and sentenced to three years in prison by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes in April 2024.

He says he is innocent and that he was framed because of his work in labor rights, his opinions, and his political views. Israfilov believes his imprisonment is politically driven. In May 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that the Azerbaijani government violated his right to freedom.

Appeal and Jail Conditions

Israfilov was moved to the BIT from Penitentiary Institution No. 10 for an appeal hearing about his denied request for early release (parole). He says that he is being held illegally in the closed-regime Investigation Isolator, because his sentence said he should be in a general-regime correctional facility.

His family mentioned that the closed conditions are bad for his health. He needs to exercise regularly for a leg injury, but he can't in the small space. They also mentioned that visitors are only allowed to meet behind glass, and his small cell is housing six people.

İşçi Masası is an independent group that fights for the rights of workers, especially couriers. Israfilov is one of four imprisoned members, including chairman Afiyaddin Mammadov, Elvin Mustafayev, and Mohyaddin Orujov. Human rights defenders consider all of them to be political prisoners.