15:43, 5 May 2020

PFPA activist arrested for 30 days

The police checks IDs during the quarantine regime in Baku. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

Elvin Mamedov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been arrested for 30 days. The party believes that he is being persecuted for political reasons.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that by April 22, 2020, ten PFPA activists had been arrested in Azerbaijan, while the party leader, Ali Kerimli, was deprived of mobile telephony and access to the Internet.

According to Seimur Khazi, the PFPA Deputy Chairman, Mamedov disappeared on May 2; and on May 4, his relatives were told that he was arrested.

"Most probably, the particular reason for his arrest was the poem he wrote on Ali Kerimli's 55th birthday, which was on April 28. After the poem was disseminated, they began shadowing Elvin," said Mr Khazy.

He has treated Mamedov's arrest as "the continuation of repression against the PFPA". "At least 12 activists of our party have been arrested over the past 20-25 days ... Agil Gumbatov was placed into a mental clinic ... Authorities are using the pandemic to completely stop the PFPA," said Khazi.

Earlier, the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) of Azerbaijan pointed to a new wave of repressions against critics of the authorities.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 5, 2020 at 03:28 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent