Convicted union activist faces transfer to stricter prison for ‘acting like opposition figure’

Convicted Azerbaijani labour activist Elvin Mustafayev faces transfer to a tougher, stricter prison reserved for criminals convicted of grave crimes after the head of his prison accused him of ‘acting like an opposition figure’.

Mustafayev, who is serving time at prison colony N6, is being held in solitary confinement until 29 June.

On Thursday, RFE/RL reported that the head of his prison colony filed a petition calling for his transfer to Gobustan prison at the Nizami District Court. Gobustan is a strict regime prison usually reserved for prisoners serving life sentences or convicted of grave crimes.

Mustafayev was sentenced to three years in prison on drug trafficking charges in August 2023, an accusation he denies. He is a member of the Desk Confederation of Trade Unions, most of whose leaders are all in detention.

Labour activist briefly detained in Azerbaijan

Sara Rahimova texted her friends that she was violently detained by police, after which she was unreachable for hours.

OC MediaAytan Farhadova

On Wednesday, his lawyer, Zibeyda Sadygova, wrote on social media that she was barred by the prison warden from meeting her client due to his being in solitary confinement.

Sadigova was allowed to meet with Mustafayev the following day, telling OC Media that her client ‘looked good’, but was unaware of his potential transfer to Gobustan.

RFE/RL has reported that Mustafayev faces transfer to Gobustan for violating ‘internal regulations’ and acting ‘like an opposition figure in prison’.

They additionally reported that the prison administration claimed Mustafayev tried to write ‘unfounded complaints’, as well as attempting to harm himself and the staff, for which he was also reprimanded.

‘[Mustafayev] was sentenced to serve in the colony with the general regime, not a strict regime. In the general regime, colonies have a library, a cafe, and the right to walk in the yard, he will be among the other prisoners. But in Gobustan, the prisoners serve [time] inside one cell’, Sadigova told RFE/RL.

Mustafayev’s relatives denied that he would be able to cause harm to the prison’s staff.

‘Can a prisoner do anything to an armed employee? […] People who have no sense of shame can write whatever they want’, they told RFE/RL.

His relatives also spoke of Mustafayev’s hunger strike, which he began in support of Tofig Yagublu — a convicted opposition politician who was on a hunger strike of his own.

Yagublu began his 40-day hunger strike in protest against his sentencing to nine years on charges of fraud and forgery on 1 April. He ended his hunger strike in early May following a stream of reports warning of his deteriorating health condition.

Mustafayev was believed to have been placed in solitary confinement after beginning his hunger strike in early May. However, labour activist Sara Rahimova told OC Media that Mustafayev ended his hunger strike after his removal from the general prison population.

Prison conditions in Azerbaijan appear to deteriorate in recent weeks

One prisoner has died after the roof of a prison in Baku collapsed in early June.

OC MediaAytan Farhadova