The international journalistic organization Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the detention of Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov in a punishment cell and called for his release.

"In Azerbaijan, convicted journalist Polad Aslanov, who began a hunger strike, was transferred to another prison and placed in a punishment cell. We call for his treatment and release," the publication of Reporters Without Borders says.

Ahead of the international climate conference to be held in Baku next week, the Committee to Protect Journalists called for the release of Aslanov and 13 other imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists.

As Aslanov's wife previously noted, he is on his fourth day of hunger strike. When he began the action, he weighed 49 kg and decided to take drastic measures, demanding freedom for himself and other political prisoners.

The founder and head of the xeberman.com website, Polad Aslanov, was arrested in June 2019 on charges of treason and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner. Later, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan reduced his prison term to 13 years.