EYNULLA FATULLAYEV’S LETTER

Dear friends,

Tomorrow, the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners will be celebrated around the world. A number of nations have already rid themselves of this disease, which spreads the intolerance of dissidence and viruses of hatred for freedom of expression.

But we [Azerbaijan] still remain an exception. It seems that there are diseases which disappear along with their victims. October 30th, a day for remembering political prisoners, is actually much more to do with feeling nostalgia for the future. As a whole, our country’s history ignites in us feelings of pain and sorrow. So let us focus on these nostalgic feelings for the unknown future…

The political prisoners chained up in communist camps 35 years ago, or the prisoners of conscience with red triangles stamped on their chests in fascist prisons 70 years ago could not have imagined that a miracle like the European Court [of Human rights]  would appear in the unknown future. And yet the Soviet Union had a better claim to Council of Europe membership than Azerbaijan does today. I have been on a hunger strike since October 19th. I sustained my hunger strike for ten days, demanding the implementation of my legal rights. Of course, I am not naive; I know that laws can only work in the countries of free people. There are no laws for slaves, only orders. But I want to be a free man and I want to see all Azerbaijanis free. I exhausted all my means of fighting from prison; although it sounds paradoxical, I started my hunger strike for the sake of love for life, desire to survive, and as a protest against criminal behaviour,  I had no other way of fighting but to start a hunger strike.

The government will hold a Supreme Court session on November 11th to execute European Court decision.  Based on this partial implementation of my demands, I am ending my open-ended hunger strike. I would also like to offer my best regards to everyone who has supported me. I take this opportunity to wish success to all the people fighting for freedom in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

I would like to finish my appeal with a famous quote from Joseph Stalin: “It’s only our country who is able to hold such fair, democratic and free elections” (Joseph Stalin. Speeches. Page 103. 1938). Thanks!

P.S. The Azerbaijani court sentenced me to eight and a half years in jail on October 30th, 2007. October 30th is still pursuing us.

Eynulla Fatullayev.

October 29th, 2010. Bakı Investigative Prison