Opposition figure and detainee Tofig Yagublu announced that he will begin a hunger strike on April 1.
In this regard, his daughter Nigar Hazi shared her father’s statement on her Facebook account.
“In protest against the unjust, illegal, and immoral 9-year prison sentence imposed on me, I will begin a hunger strike on April 1. I know this will be very difficult, and many friends do not approve of this step. However, I am determined to take this step. I am now 65 years old. According to Ilham Aliyev’s plan, I am supposed to be released from prison at the age of 74. But there is no guarantee that I will live that long, especially in prison conditions. On the other hand, even if I don’t die in prison, why should I spend the last years of my life there? I have been dishonored, falsely accused, and unlawfully imprisoned on fabricated charges. Everyone knows that I was arrested for my political activities.”
Tofig Yagublu compared himself to a pilot whose plane has been shot down:
“Right now, I am in the position of a military pilot whose plane has been shot down and who does not have a parachute. The plane is going to crash in the forest, in the open field, or in the mountains anyway. If the end result is death, wouldn’t it be more logical to crash the damaged plane into the enemy’s military base? What will an additional 15-30 minutes of life bring to that pilot? That’s why I decided to die in prison. I hope that my death in prison will draw international attention to Azerbaijan and lead to greater pressure on the criminal Aliyev regime. If you want to support me, read my final words in court and promote them. By doing so, you will have a very strong and irrefutable argument and evidence to criticize and expose the Aliyev regime’s judicial system.”
“Long live democracy and freedom! I love you all!” – Tofig Yagublu concluded his statement.
Tofig Yagublu was arrested on December 14, 2023. He was charged under Articles 178.3.2 (Fraud – when committed causing significant damage), 320 (Forgery of official documents, state awards, seals, stamps, blank forms, illegal preparation, sale, or use of forged documents), 320.1 (Forgery or illegal preparation of documents used for granting rights or relieving from duties, or the sale of such documents, and preparation or sale of forged state awards, stamps, seals, or blanks of Azerbaijan for the same purpose), and 320.2 (Knowingly using forged documents as specified in Article 320.1) of the Criminal Code.
According to the charges, a person named Elshan Huseynov gave Tofig Yagublu 25,000 euros and 10,000 manats through Elnur Mammadov to help him obtain citizenship in Germany.
Tofig Yagublu denies these accusations, stating that he did not receive any money from anyone.
He also claims that he never had any conversation with Elshan Huseynov or Elnur Mammadov on this matter and suggests that they were involved in this case for provocative purposes.
Throughout his political career, Tofig Yagublu has been subjected to several administrative and long-term imprisonments.
He was arrested in 2013 for organizing protests in Ismayilli and sentenced to 5 years in prison, but was released in 2017 under a pardon decree. Later, on March 22, 2020, he was arrested again on charges of hooliganism. It was alleged that he caused a car accident near the “8th Kilometer Market,” insulted the driver and his wife, and inflicted harm on them. He was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison by the Nizami District Court.
Right after the sentence, on September 2, 2020, in protest against judicial injustice, Tofig Yagublu announced that he would begin a hunger strike, which he continued for 17 days. His condition worsened, and he was transferred from the investigation isolation unit to a clinic. On September 18, following a decision by the Baku Court of Appeal, he was released under house arrest. On July 15, 2021, the Baku Court of Appeal replaced his 4 years and 3 months sentence with a conditional sentence.
On March 10, 2025, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced Tofig Yagublu to 9 years in prison.
