Update 12 July 2021
On 7 July 2021, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld Elchin Mammad’s prison sentence. According to his lawyer, they now plan to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, Mammad remains in Prison No. 16 of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice, in Baku.
PEN continues to call for his immediate and unconditional release.
6 July 2021
English PEN is deeply concerned for the health of reporter, lawyer, and human rights defender Elchin Mammad, who is serving a four-year prison sentence on trumped-up charges of theft and illegal possession of weapons.
Mammad’s family reports that his health has seriously deteriorated while in detention. Being ill with Hepatitis C, he has lost a significant amount of weight and is not receiving adequate medical treatment.
Mammad’s appeal hearing before the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan is due to take place on 7 July 2021. English PEN joins PEN International in calling for his immediate and unconditional release, and for his sentence and conviction to be quashed.
TAKE ACTION:
Please send appeals:
- Protesting Elchin Mammad’s detention on politically motivated charges, and calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally and to overturn his conviction and sentence;
- Expressing serious concern for his health and well-being and ensuring that, pending his release, he is provided with adequate medical care;
- Calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to end the abuse of the legal system to persecute journalists, human rights defenders and other dissident voices, and to immediately release all those held in prison for having exercised their rights to freedom of opinion and expression.
Send appeals to:
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
19 Istiqlaliyyat Street, Baku AZ1066, Azerbaijan
Contact form: https://en.president.az/letters/new_form
Twitter: https://twitter.com/presidentaz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PresidentIlhamAliyev/
Send copies to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in your own country. Embassy addresses may be found here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/azerbaijan
Please also call on your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic representatives in Azerbaijan to raise Elchin Mammad’s case in bilateral and multilateral fora.
***Please send appeals immediately. Check with PEN if sending appeals after 1 August 2021. ***
SOLIDARITY
Please send messages of support to Elchin Mammad in prison at the following address:
Elchin Mammad
Prison No. 16 of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice
Yeni Ramana Road, Baku, Sabunchu, AZ1128
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Mammad understands Azerbaijani, Russian, Turkish, Farsi and English.
Please let us know of any action you take and of any responses you receive.
For further information, please visit the PEN International website.