Activist with paralyzed hands accused of drug trafficking

Social activist Famil Khalilov has been arrested on charges of drug trafficking. This was reported to by his wife Kichikhanum Khalilova.

According to her, on May 2, people in civilian clothes came to the house they rent in the village of Sulutepe.

“My husband is a disabled person of the 1st group, both his arms are paralyzed. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The youngest daughter opened the door and said that some people had come. I went out to them, and they introduced themselves as police officers,” Khalilova said.

After that, persons in black clothes burst in and conducted a search. “Then, they dragged Familia out of the house, and then they returned him to the house and began to make a video recording. Then they told my husband to go up to the second floor. The husband replied that he had been living in this house for 8 months and had never risen, as he was unable due to limited physical abilities. Then they picked up the husband. After that, the investigator took a green napkin out of the closet and said that there was something heavy there. I immediately stated that it does not belong to us,” Khalilova said.

According to her, the activist was charged under Article 234.4.3 (large-scale drug trafficking) of the Criminal Code. They found out about it only two days after the arrest.

“That day, I was taken with 3 young children to the 40th police station and held in the yard, demanding to tell the password to the Famil’s computer.

Then they let us go. There was no information about her husband for several days. It’s just that they came and took his medicine. Two days later, we were informed that the husband had been arrested,” she said.

On May 4, Khalilov called his wife and said that he had gone on a hunger strike.

No comments have so far come from the Interior Ministry and the Penitentiary Service.

It has to be kept in mind that Khalilov published and reposted critical publications about the authorities on social networks. He also called for participation in opposition protests.

A few years ago, Khalilov went to Sweden and sought asylum for humanitarian reasons. However, Khalilov was deported a year ago.