AZERBAIJAN: IMPRISONED POLITICIAN REQUIRES URGENT HEALTHCARE

Dear President Aliyev,

I am writing to draw your attention to the rapidly deteriorating health of arbitrarily imprisoned political opposition leader, Tofig Yagublu. He is held in Penitentiary Facility No 17 and is unable to bear weight on his knee due to severe pain and swelling.

Following repeated demands by his family, he was taken to the penitentiary service hospital, where an X-ray was conducted but proved insufficient to diagnose his condition. He was subsequently transferred to Leyla Shikhlinskaya Hospital, where an MRI was performed. However, as of June 15, more than four weeks after the MRI test, and despite Tofig Yagublu consenting to the results being shared with his family, the results of the MRI have not been shared with Tofig Yagublu or his family and the prison authorities have consistently refused to do so.

The swelling in Tofig Yagublu’s knee had been documented during his time in pre-trial detention at Kurdakhani, where he was examined on several occasions. Initially, facility staff told him not to use a knee brace. However, after the MRI scan, the treating doctor firmly advised that a knee brace must be worn. The pain has become so severe that he now requires a walking aid. His family had to arrange for a crutch to be brought to him, but the prison authorities refuse to allow it and have returned it to the family.

The state bears responsibility for the life and health of all individuals in its custody. This includes ensuring access to adequate healthcare services free of charge and without discrimination and providing immediate medical attention in urgent situations.

I urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Tofig Yagublu and ensure that he can access the healthcare he requires. I also call on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop misusing the criminal justice system to target dissent and freedom of expression.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]