The Citizens and Development Party strongly condemns the continued pressures by the authorities on Party leader Ali Aliyev and demands his immediate release.

This is said in a statement from the Party which holds the authorities responsible for health conditions of Aliyev, who went on a hunger strike in prison the day before.

“The Party declares that it will continue to fight by all legal means for the immediate release of Ali Aliyev,” the document says.

In turn, two Party activists Zaur Gasymov and Zeynal Abdullayev began a hunger strike in support of Ali Aliyev at the office of the Citizens and Development Party.

*Ali Aliyev was convicted on 13 January this year to 5 months of imprisonment on slander charges (Article 147.1 of the Criminal Code).

On April 15, the court extended Aliyev’s arrest on a similar charge against another plaintiff.

Now a third plaintiff has filed a defamation charge against Aliyev, and the prison term may be extended again.

Source: Turan News Agency