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Arrested Azerbaijani human rights defender Taleh Khasmammadov is placed in Ministry of Justice hospital. This happened after he cut his veins, Azerbaijani information agency Turan reports.

Khasmammadov’s family told Turan that he had begun a hunger strike in Gyanja jail 10 days ago to protest against the falsification of the criminal case. 6 days later he was placed in psychiatric hospital in Mashtagin. On Sunday he cut his veins in hospital and was transferred to the Ministry of Justice hospital.

Prior to that, he was not allowed to talk to his family on phone for 10 days and only yesterday, he was able to tell them about what had happened. Currently Khasmammadov’s family cannot see him because of the investigator’s refusal.

Turan writes that Khasmmadov is well-known for his human rights activities in Geychae-Ujar district and for his criticism of the local authorities on Facebook. Earlier he had been prosecuted and convicted for his human rights activities but 2 years ago, he was pardoned. 

Azerbaijani human rights defender Taleh Khasmammadov was detained on 24 February on suspicion of beating a Geychay town resident. According to the head of the public alliance "Azerbaijan without political prisoners" Ogtay Gulaliyev, Taleh Khasmammadov was in furniture store with his mother. When they came out of the store a stranger came up to Taleh and spat in his face. Then he threw himself on the ground and started to shout that Khasmammadov was beating him. Soon the police appeared and the witnesses claimed that the Azerbaijani human rights defender was innocent, yet he was detained.