Salekh Rustamov refuses to end hunger strike

On the 35th day of his hunger strike, Salekh Rustamov stopped believing in the results of the protest action, but still intends to continue it, his advocate reports.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 27, in Azerbaijan, Salekh Rustamov, a citizen of Russia, an activist of the Popular Front Party (PFPA), was sentenced to seven years and three months of imprisonment. Later, the Supreme Court (SC) reduced the sentence by two months. On November 6, Salekh Rustamov went on a hunger strike.

Advocate Bakhruz Bairamov visited Salekh Rustamov at the Medical Institution of the Penitentiary Service on the 35th day of his hunger strike.

“Salekh Rustamov continues his hunger strike for 35 days. He is very weak, and his complexion became pale. His eyes have sunk so deeply that I could hardly see them. It is very difficult to hear what he speaks. Moreover, he speaks quietly, with pauses. Because of his weakness, our conversation lasted only several minutes. He explained to me with difficulty that he could not sleep at all because of severe headaches and pains in joints and limbs,” the advocate told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“Salekh Rustamov no longer believes in the results of his hunger strike, because 35 days have passed, and there is no real reaction from the government bodies. But he will continue his protest, although his strength is running out. Salekh Rustamov said that he could no longer serve his unjustified and unfair prison sentence. He said from the very beginning that in any case he would be released from prison: either free or dead,” Bakhruz Bairamov said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 10, 2021 at 06:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.