Convicted oppositionist goes on hunger strike in Azerbaijan

One of the leaders of the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) and the Musavat Party, Tofig Yagublu, who was recently sentenced to 9 years in prison, has gone on hunger strike in Azerbaijan.

“I am starting a hunger strike on April 1 in protest against the illegal and immoral sentence that was announced to me. I know that it will be very difficult, and many of my friends do not approve of this decision of mine. However, I am determined to do this. I am 65 years old now. According to Ilham Aliyev’s plan, I should be released from prison at 74. However, there is no guarantee that I will live that long. Especially in prison conditions. I was slandered and unjustly imprisoned on false charges. Everyone knows that I was arrested for political activities,” Yagublu wrote on a social network.

Tofig Yagublu is known for criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. At the end of 2023, he was arrested on charges of fraud and document forgery. Before that, the politician had been repeatedly subjected to criminal and administrative prosecution. International organizations recognized him as a prisoner of conscience. In the pretrial detention center, Tofig Yagublu went on hunger strike more than once.

Earlier, the leading opposition party, the Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA), stated that the country's authorities were not releasing political prisoners, but were increasing their number with new arrests.

Последние новости
Putin cited Ramzan Kadyrov's large family as a role model
Society
Putin cited Ramzan Kadyrov's large family as a role model
19 December 2025

During the annual "Year in Review" press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to a question about support for young families, noted the tradition of early marriages in the North Caucasus. He said he believed this was "right" and suggested "following their example," citing Ramzan Kadyrov's large family.
Adam Kadyrov blamed preachers of nationalist hatred for the murder of a Tajik boy
Society
Adam Kadyrov blamed preachers of nationalist hatred for the murder of a Tajik boy
19 December 2025

Following the murder of 10-year-old Kobiljon Aliyev, a boy from a Tajik family, at a school near Moscow, Adam Kadyrov, the son and aide of the head of Chechnya, stated that the tragedy was not an isolated incident, but the result of a "systemic problem."
Georgia Accuses the European Union of Undermining the Country's Sovereignty
Politics
Georgia Accuses the European Union of Undermining the Country's Sovereignty
19 December 2025

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticized the statement by European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas that the European Union supports the Georgian people, but not the country's government.
The European Parliament condemned the rise in the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan
Human rights
The European Parliament condemned the rise in the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan
19 December 2025

The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the arbitrary arrests and sentences handed down to Azerbaijani scholars Bahruz Samadov and Igbal Abilov. The resolution expresses concern over the growing number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, which, according to the European Parliament, has reached 400.