Sister of a religious prisoner: “My brother was left to die in front of everyone.”

Aghaali Yahyayev

That’s what Elnara Eldar, the sister of Aghaali Yahyayev, wrote about her brother’s grim situation behind bars. Aghaali is a board member of the Muslim Unity Movement, and he’s locked up right now in prison No. 8—a place with some pretty harsh rules.

Elnara went public on social media about what her brother is facing. She says Aghaali, who’s got fatty liver disease, is basically left to fend for himself. He’s not getting basic medical care, and no one checks up with things like MRIs or ultrasound exams. Other prisoners are in the same boat.

She didn’t stop there. Elnara says the prison doesn’t bother with real medical records—they just go through the motions. That way, if something goes wrong and someone dies, nobody has to take responsibility.

It’s not just about missing medicine, either. Elnara talks about how dangerous the prison is—she says her brother landed in a cell with an AIDS patient, and the authorities kept his test results secret. And then, just recently, a prisoner with mental health issues poured boiling water on everyone in the cell. Luckily, nobody got badly hurt.

Elnara turned to the leadership of the Penitentiary Service with a desperate plea—her family wants sweeping changes in the system and, above all, for her brother’s life to be saved.

Aghaali Yahyayev was arrested on August 31, 2023. The Main Drug Control Department took him in, and by September 20, the Sumgait Grave Crimes Court handed down a seven-year sentence. The official charge? Illegal acquisition and possession of a large amount of narcotic drugs—article 234.1-1 of the Criminal Code. But Aghaali says it’s all a setup. He thinks he’s in prison now because of his political views and religious beliefs.

This isn’t the first time he’s been inside. Aghaali was also arrested during the Nardaran events in 2015 and was released a few years later, thanks to an amnesty.