Tofiq Yaqublu in Solitary Confinement; Begins Hunger Strike

Tofiq Yaqublu

Tofiq Yaqublu, an Azerbaijani opposition politician, has been moved to a disciplinary cell and has started a hunger strike in response. His family and lawyer verified that the Musavat Party and National Council member was punished on February 25. This is a worrying turn of events.

According to his daughter, Nigar Hazi, the family got worried when Yaqublu didn't make his scheduled phone call. His lawyer, Nemat Karimli, visited and found out that the politician got a one-week term in solitary confinement. Prison officials say Yaqublu stopped a search of his cell. His family disagrees and says that during their last visit, Yaqublu said a peaceful search already happened. They think the new obstruction charge is made up.

The family thinks this disciplinary action is political. Nigar Hazi thinks the harsh treatment is because of a protest in Washington D.C. His son, Rahim, protested outside the hotel where President Ilham Aliyev was staying. The family sees this as revenge and a sign that conditions are getting worse for political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Yaqublu is protesting his solitary confinement, his conviction, and what his family says is silence from the global community (specifically the U.S. administration) on human rights issues in Azerbaijan. He has begun his fifth hunger strike, even though they are concerned about his health, especially after a tough 40-day hunger strike earlier this year.

Tofiq Yaqublu was sentenced to nine years in prison in March 2025 for fraud and forgery. He and human rights groups say these charges are political. Yaqublu has been a vocal critic of the Aliyev administration for years and has been arrested, tortured, and detained many times. The Supreme Court hasn't made a final ruling on his case, so the politician is in legal and physical danger.

International groups, such as the European Union and various human rights organizations, have recognized Yaqublu as a prisoner of conscience. His family is asking diplomats and international organizations to step in because his health and safety are at risk.