Samir Ashurov went on a hunger strike in a Baku prison colony.

Convicted Azerbaijani opposition figure Samir Ashurov went on a hunger strike after facing violence from a prison administration official.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on December 18, 2023, a Baku court sentenced Samir Ashurov to 6.5 years in prison. The appellate court upheld the sentence, although the defense requested that the case be dismissed on acquittal grounds. In January, the cassation court reduced Ashurov's sentence by six months, dropping the hooliganism charge against him.

Samir Ashurov declared a hunger strike in the penal colony to protest violence after a high-ranking prison official struck him in the face, the opposition leader's wife, Nuran Ashurov, told Meydan TV.

According to Nuran Ashurova, her husband and other activists publicly held authorities responsible for the death of convicted PFPA member Elbai Kerimli. After this, pressure on the convicted activists intensified.

In particular, Ashurov's phone calls were obstructed. "Our conversations were often interrupted. The last time Samir wanted to say something, the phone suddenly went dead. When I called, no one answered," said Nurana Ashurova.

She believes another reason for the pressure was the creation of the "Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners."

I am very worried about Samir's condition

Ashurova said she is worried about her husband's condition, fearing that the hunger strike could pose a serious threat to his health. "I am very worried about Samir's condition. He had a heart attack and suffers from diabetes. He also has shortness of breath and asthma. He was recently hospitalized with tuberculosis. "His lungs are in poor condition," the publication quoted her as saying on December 29.

As a reminder, human rights activists have recognized Ashurov as a political prisoner. Ashurov's wife, who held protests in his support, left Azerbaijan with their two minor children in August 2023 due to threats and moved to Georgia. Georgian authorities denied their family political asylum.

In 2025, Azerbaijani authorities intensified repression against the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, culminating in the arrests of party leader Ali Karimli and his associates at the end of the year, the PFPA stated.

The PFPA became a target of the Azerbaijani authorities due to its consistent fight against the rise of authoritarianism and corruption in the country. At the same time, there is no other party in Azerbaijan that has been so "permanently subjected to pressure, persecution, and repression" over the past 20 years, Jamil Hasanli, chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces, told the Caucasian Knot. The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to a Caucasian Knot report titled "Key Points About the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.