Hilal Mammadov’s relatives have alleged that he is being mistreated in custody. The human rights activist Hilal Mammadov, who is serving pre-trial detention in Kurdakhani investigative prison, has been beaten and injured by a cellmate.
Late on November 29, the cellmate attacked Mammadov and inflicted bodily injuries on him. Only the intervention of the guards saved the journalist from more severe injuries.
Hilal Mammadov’s lawyer has repeatedly requested the prison management to move his mentally-ill cellmate from the cell, but the requests have been ignored.
According to the Institute for Peace and Democracy, another group of scholars from different countries joined the appeal to the President Ilham Aliyev requesting the release of Hilal Mammadov.
The editor of Tolishi sado newspaper and head of Talish cultural center, Hilal Mammadov, was arrested in June 2012. Mammadov is accused of drug possession, espionage, and inciting ethnic hatred.
However, his colleagues and the international community has recognized him potential political prisoner, believing that the actual reason for his arrest was his human rights activity.