The wife of a political prisoner speaks out about the family’s dire situation

Aygun Gumbatova, the wife of PFPA (Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan) member Aghyal Gumbatov, who was convicted on charges of causing harm to a citizen’s health, reached out to the agency with a statement about her family’s distress.

“We have three children, one of whom has autism since birth. Due to dampness in the house, the child has developed rheumatism, and another child has a severe allergic cough. We have no money for medicine, and the sick child has to sleep on the floor because the bed broke, and I had to throw it away. I don’t even have enough money to buy a new bed, not even a folding one. The state refused to grant our family social assistance because it turned out that my husband’s remaining moped is considered a ‘vehicle,’ and thus our family does not qualify as needy,” A. Gumbatova reported.

The family survives only on the allowance provided by the state for caring for the sick child.

Before his arrest, Aghyal Gumbatov collected scrap metal on the streets using a moped with a cargo sidecar to support his family, which includes three sick children.

“I appeal to the president of Azerbaijan and demand the release of my husband and that we be granted social assistance,” declared the wife of the political prisoner.

Aghyal Gumbatov was detained on August 11, 2021, in connection with the alleged stabbing of a resident of the village of Zirya, near Baku. His lawyer claimed that Gumbatov signed a confession under pressure after being beaten. Gumbatov later retracted his initial statements, asserting that they were made under torture. On November 15, 2021, a Baku court sentenced Gumbatov to 10 years in prison. Human rights activists have recognized Gumbatov as a political prisoner.