Two convicts in the Toplum TV case have been sent to a punishment cell.
Activists Ruslan Izzetli and Ali Zeynal, convicted in the Toplum TV case, have been placed in a punishment cell after protesting due to the lack of drinking water in the prison.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", employees of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives Ruslan Izzetli and Ali Zeynal, along with nine journalists and activists, were sentenced to long prison terms in late July in the Toplum TV case. Izzetli was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Zeynal to 14 years. The defense stated that they will appeal the verdict.
Among the accused in the case were also the founder of the publication Alesker Mamedli, Toplum TV employees Mushvig Jabbar and Farid Ismailov, the head of the partner organization Toplum TV – the Institute for Democratic Initiatives Akif Gurbanov, and institute employees Ramil Babaev, Ilkin Amrakhov, and Elmir Abbasov. Initially, they were charged with currency smuggling, later new charges were brought against them under six criminal articles. Toplum TV positioned itself as an independent platform for expressing various opinions on socio-political and socio-economic events. On February 10, Toplum TV announced the suspension of its activities in Azerbaijan.
Information about the placement of the two convicts in the punishment cell of the Umbaqi penitentiary complex was reported by Ruslan Izzetli's wife Gunel Manafli. According to the woman, Izzetli and Zeynal protested due to the lack of drinking water in the facility.
Ruslan Izzetli has repeatedly complained that prisoners in Umbaqi do not have proper access to drinking water. The problem has become particularly acute in hot weather, and the activist demanded that it be resolved, MeydanTV reports.
Gunel Manafli learned that her husband was placed in a punishment cell from Ali Zeynal, with whom she spoke on the phone. "He said that Ruslan was sent to the punishment cell for protesting and that now he himself is also going to be sent there," she said. Later, Manafli confirmed that Zeynal is in the punishment cell.
There is no information on the duration of the confinement in the punishment cell for the convicts. The Azerbaijani penitentiary service did not comment on the activists' statements about the problems with drinking water for prisoners in the Umbaqi complex.
"Caucasian Knot also reported that the editorial office of the exiled Azerbaijani publication Toplum TV expressed disagreement with the verdict handed down to the publication's journalists and activists of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, calling their criminal prosecution politically motivated. International organizations for the protection of press freedom condemned the court's decision and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the journalists.