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Dayanat Kerimov began hunger strike in Gobustan prison

22 November 2006 14:27 (UTC +04:00)

Kerimov said that he began the strike because he did not receive replies to his appeals to substitute life sentence with 15 yearsâ€™ sentence and eliminate illegal actions in the prison.
â€œThere are corruption cases in the prison. The foodstuffs and clothes are embezzled. The prisoners are treated roughly,â€? he said. Another lifer wrote in his letter to the APA that the leadership and jailers of the prison take bribe from prisoners and their families. He said that they are not allowed to meet their families unless they bribe.
Justice Ministry Penitentiary Service Chief Nazim Alekberov did not confirm the information about hunger strike. He noted that the representatives of the CE Committee against Tortures hold monitoring concerning conditions and nourishment of prisoners.
â€œIf the members of the committee had revealed such cases, they would have told us. Maybe some prisoner intends to hold hunger strike, but there is not such an action at the moment,â€? he said.
As to the lifersâ€™ demands Nazim Alekberov said that they can appeal to the Pardon Commission and if there is a legal motive in the lifersâ€™ cases, their imprisonment can be shortened. He said there are forces who want this problem to be on focus and they urge the prisoners to hold hunger strike.
â€œWe have created legal conditions for lifers,â€? he said. /APA/