Azerbaijani oppositionist arrested for four months

Mamed Ibragim, a member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), is charged under four articles in connection with the action held at night on July 15 in Baku. The court arrested him for four months. The PFPA treats the charges as politically motivated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that after the action, 28 PFPA activists were arrested. Eight have faced criminal charges. Mamed Ibragim was detained on July 26.

Ilkham Khusein, another member of the PFPA Presidium, has recalled that initially Mekhti Ibragimov, Mamed Ibragim's son, was arrested. He has treated the oppositionist's detention as "moral terror."

The oppositional "Musavat" Party has also condemned the arrests of PFPA activists. "The Azerbaijani authorities are using the action in support of the army to suppress political freedoms and persecute the opposition. Detentions and arrests of dozens of demonstrators, including PFPA members, are another round of repressions in the country," the "Musavat" Party said in its statement.

The "Musavat" regards these arrests as a "gross violation of human rights" and a blow to the state interests of Azerbaijan and the country's international image.