Relatives are concerned about Yagublu's condition

Tofig Yagublu reported a worsening condition on the fourth day of his hunger strike, but remains in solitary confinement, according to the opposition politician's family.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot" newspaper, Azerbaijani opposition politician Tofig Yagublu has been placed in solitary confinement. The politician's daughter attributes the punishment to her brother's participation in a protest in Washington, D.C., outside the hotel where the Azerbaijani president was staying. In protest, Yagublu went on a hunger strike.

On February 26, Yagublu's lawyer visited him in the pretrial detention center, according to his daughter, Nigar Hazi.

"Lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev visited Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 today and met with my father. The lawyer reported that my father is still being held in solitary confinement and will not be released until Sunday of this week. Since being placed in solitary confinement, my father has been on a hunger strike. He has not eaten for four days. Today (February 26), my father was examined by a doctor. "His blood pressure was low, 100 over 80," Khazi told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, Yagublu told his lawyer that he had begun experiencing severe headaches and a sharp bitter taste in his mouth.

"This is my father's fifth hunger strike, during his various arrests. All his previous hunger strikes were lengthy and resulted in hospitalization. We are deeply concerned about my father; his health is already undermined by repeated imprisonment and hunger strikes. We fear that the current hunger strike could lead to irreversible consequences for his health and threaten his life. Despite his deteriorating health, my father is still being held in solitary confinement,” Khazi said.

Lawyer Mehdiyev confirmed to a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that Yagublu is continuing his hunger strike and that he is experiencing health problems.

The Penitentiary Service could not be reached for comment.

Earlier, on May 10, 2025, Yagublu, at the request of his family, agreed to end his 40-day hunger strike, which he was conducting in protest against his nine-year sentence for fraud. Yagublu had also previously gone on hunger strikes several times, according to a biographical note posted on the “Caucasian Knot.”

As a reminder, on April 19, the security detail of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev allegedly used force against participants in a protest in Washington, D.C., calling for the release of Azerbaijani political prisoners, The Washington Post reported. Activists claim that the Azerbaijani president's bodyguards used force near the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, a few blocks from the White House. According to the newspaper, Washington police passed information about the attack to the State Department. According to 27-year-old Rahim Yagublu, whose father is imprisoned in Azerbaijan, Aliyev's bodyguards began punching him in the jaw and stomach when he was protesting near the hotel early in the morning. Another protester, 35-year-old Adil Amrahli, said he injured his leg while running from guards. He also noted that at least four other protesters, including Yagublu, were injured. The Azerbaijani Embassy in the United States accused the protesters of posing a threat to the security of President Aliyev, who was visiting Washington to attend a meeting of the Peace Council. As reported in As the presidential motorcade approached the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, protesters used force at the diplomatic mission, attempting to enter the secured area and attacking the presidential car. Activists also shouted obscene language at the Azerbaijani leadership, RBK reports.