Wife: Samir Ashurov's Lungs Hurt, the Doctor Won't Approach

Samir Ashurov

Nura Ashurova, the wife of imprisoned political activist Samir Ashurov, posted on her Facebook page on November 9 that her husband is suffering from poor health and is being neglected at the penitentiary.

She said that Ashurov was first sent to the Specialized Treatment Facility of the Ministry of Justice (Tubzon) but wasn't given proper medical care.

Since he was moved from 'Tubzon' to Penitentiary Institution No. 2, he hasn't had any check-ups or treatment. Samir says he has a cold and lung pain, but the doctor won't even examine him. We've been trying for months to get Samir into the institution's medical unit, but it's no use. Everyone knows that only prisoners who pay get placed in the 'central'

$$medical unit$$

, so they don't even consider Samir, she wrote.

Ashurova said that she contacted the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice and was told that her message was received, but they stopped answering her calls later.

Even though you were told that prisoner health appeals should be reviewed quickly, I've been talking about Samir's health problems since he was first arrested. He's sick and needs an examination and treatment. It's not just Samir Ashurov—it's all prisoners. But you're telling the doctor not to write a medical opinion for them. The head doctor of Penitentiary Institution No. 2, Saddam, knows about Samir's illness but won't admit him or write an opinion, she said.

The Penitentiary Service hasn't commented on this statement.

Ashurov was deported from Germany on March 29, 2023, and arrested by the police 20 days later. He was accused of attacking Elshan Nabiyev with a knife.

He was initially charged under Article 126.2.4 of the Criminal Code (Deliberate infliction of harm to health in a generally dangerous manner, with the intent of hooliganism). Later, he was also charged with Article 221.3 (Hooliganism committed with the use of weapons or objects used as weapons).

On December 18, 2023, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes found him guilty under Articles 126.2 (Deliberate infliction of serious harm to health on the grounds of hooliganism) and 221.3 (Hooliganism committed with the application of a weapon or object used as a weapon) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison.

Human rights advocates consider Ashurov a political prisoner. He claims the charges are made up.

Officials deny that there are any political prisoners in the country. They claim that people on the political prisoner lists were prosecuted only for their actions.

It's worth noting that at least five people who returned to Azerbaijan from European countries (mainly Germany) in the past three years have been arrested on drug and other charges. They say their arrests are due to their activism in protests related to Azerbaijan while they were in exile. Officials usually deny that people are being unfairly persecuted for criticizing the government.