Eight opposition activists holding hunger strike in Baku
Eight Azerbaijani opposition activists are holding a hunger strike in Baku to demand freedom for the country's "political prisoners," Radio Liberty reports.
Four activists joined on Tuesday in the Azerbaijani capital with another group of four strikers who started fasting a few days earlier.
The strike was first launched by parents of two young activists detained at the opposition's April 2 protest and sentenced to jail terms for attempts to violate public order and resist government officials.
Arzuman Majidli, father of Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) member Elnur Majidli (serving a two-year sentence), and Ibrahim Hajibeyli, father of Musavat member Rufat Hajibeyli (sentenced to 1 1/2 years), began the strike last Friday.
But the two fathers' health deteriorated after three days and they were replaced by four other activists.
The strike is being held at the opposition Musavat Party headquarters, where the activists have painted "Freedom to all political prisoners!" "We protest the imprisonment of our sons!" and "Eurovision without political prisoners!" on the walls.
Fourteen activists have been sentenced, most of them to jail terms, for participating in the April protest.
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