Polad Aslanov's wife demanded that his placement in solitary confinement be cancelled.

Convicted journalist Polad Aslanov in Azerbaijan has been placed in a punishment cell after being assaulted by another inmate. His wife considered her husband's sentence unfair and demanded it be overturned.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on April 15, Polad Aslanov, editor-in-chief of the online publications Xeberman.com and Press-az.com, was transferred from maximum-security correctional facility No. 15 to a Baku pretrial detention center because his complaint of torture is being heard in court. On April 19, Polad Aslanov's wife was not allowed to visit him and was only allowed to speak on the phone for a few minutes. The woman filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commissioner.

Polad Aslanov has been placed in a punishment cell at Penal Colony No. 15, the journalist's wife, Gulmira Aslanova, told Meydan TV.

According to her, this follows an attack on Aslanov by another prisoner, who used violence against the journalist on the evening of April 29. Aslanova claims that this prisoner had previously insulted the journalist and tried to provoke a conflict, according to a report posted on the TV channel's website on May 1.

"One of the prisoners attacked Polad and hit him. A fight ensued. Both the prisoner and Polad were given 15 days' detention. Families of other prisoners informed me of the incident. Previously, the same prisoner had repeatedly insulted Polad and tried to provoke him into a fight, using inappropriate language and behavior," Gulmira Aslanova said.

After attempting to visit her husband, Aslanova learned that she was prohibited from calling him or meeting with him. According to the woman, since she was unable to obtain information about her husband, she went to the deputy head of the penitentiary service.

You can't punish Polad because he was defending himself.

"I said it was illegal to give Polad the same punishment as another prisoner... I said you can't punish Polad because he was defending himself. He said nothing happened to Polad or the other prisoner," the woman said.

As a reminder, Polad Aslanov went on a hunger strike in the penal colony on August 29, 2025, protesting the restrictions imposed on him. The hunger strike lasted 23 days; Aslanov ended it after the deputy head of the Penitentiary Service promised him a medical examination and the lifting of the ban on contact with his family. In April 2025, Polad Aslanov also went on a hunger strike in the penal colony to protest his conditions and the violation of his rights. The administration partially complied with his demands, restoring Aslanov's rights to telephone conversations and visits with his family, so he ended his hunger strike two days later.

In January 2025, Polad Aslanov also complained about restrictions on his right to make telephone calls and about poor prison conditions.

Journalists from a number of media outlets, including Abzas Media, Meydan TV, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have been persecuted in Azerbaijan. The "Caucasian Knot" report "Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan" details what led to the new wave of repression against the independent press.

In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in the country's 23 years of membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points to the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.