Prison Service Denies Ikram Rahimov�s Statement on His Resumption of Hunger Strike (UPDATED)

Baku / 09/20/19 / Turan: At noon on September 20, the Public Relations Department of the Prison Service announced that Rahimov"s statement on the hunger strike was untrue.

"He eats food and drinks water," the representative of the Prison Service emphasized. -03B-

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2019 September 20 (Friday) 13:02:49

Ikram Rahimov Begins Dry Hunger Strike

Baku / 09.20.19 / Turan: "From September 18, I began a dry hunger strike demanding my complete rehabilitation." This was stated by Ikram Rahimov, the convicted editor and founder of the realliq.info website, in his appeal to the country's media.

He explained the decision to resume the hunger strike by the fact that he "was deceived." According to Rahimov, he was promised to objectively consider his case in the Court of Appeal and for this reason he stopped the hunger strike. "However, the Court of Appeal only shortened the term of imprisonment, finding me guilty of crimes I did not commit. Therefore, I resume the dry hunger strike and will continue it until the end, until I am completely justified," Rahimov emphasized.

His appeal was read out by telephone to relatives, who broadcast it to the media.

** The editor of the website realliq.info Ikram Rahimov was detained on October 26, 2018.

On June 12, the court sentenced him to 5.5 years in prison. In protest, Rahimov began a hunger strike in August, which he stopped on the 30th day - September 5th.

On September 18, the Court of Appeal affirmed Rahimov"s guilt of extortion by threats, applying Article 62 of the Criminal Code (imposing a lower sentence than prescribed by law), and reduced the prison term from 5.5 years to 3 years. -03D-