Arrested journalist Parviz Hashimli, who is held in detention center of the Ministry of National Security (MNS), has gone on hunger strike, his lawyer Elchin Sadigov reported to the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) today, on November 25.
According to Sadigov, Parviz took this step for not being allowed to meet his family, for being held in dangerous and degrading conditions, for not being transferred to Interior Ministry detention facility, for not being enabled to exercise his right to legal defence and non-delivery of his complaint letters to relevant government agencies and courts.
The lawyer added Hashimli suffers serious health problems.
The MNS Public Relations Center told Turan Information Agency that they are not informed about the journalist’s hunger strike.
Background: Bizim Yol newspaper journalist and moderator.az editor-in-chief Parviz Hashimli was detained onSeptember 17th by employees of the Ministry of National Security. On September 18 the journalist was handed down a two-month pretrial detention sentence by the Sabail District Court under two articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code: Article 206.3.2 (smuggling of firearms on preliminary arrangement by an organized group) and 228.2.1 (illegal obtaining, storing, carrying firearms and their spare parts on preliminary arrangement by an organized group). His detention term was extended for another three months on November 7.