22:07, 9 September 2020

HRHF calls for release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

Participants of a spontaneous rally in support of Tofig Yagublu held in Baku on September 3, 2020. Screenshot of the video by the "Caucasian Knot" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM_Qf7UCckg&feature=emb_logo

The authorities of Azerbaijan should stop persecuting dissidents and release political prisoners, including opposition leader Tofig Yagublu. This was announced by the non-governmental human rights organisation "Human Rights House Foundation" (HRHF).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in April, the HRHF claimed that the Azerbaijani authorities suppressed freedom of speech under the guise of fighting the coronavirus and persecute oppositionists on far-fetched charges. On August 6, the "Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" (UFPPA) made public a list of 192 political prisoners.

In Azerbaijan, the repression aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic still continues, the HRHF announces. The human rights defenders reminded Azerbaijan of the international agreements on human rights signed by the country.

The HRHF mentioned the dispersal of demonstrations in Baku on July 15 related to the hostilities on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to the human rights defenders, at least 80 people were detained, including 28 activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). Mamed Ibragim and Fuad Gakhramanly, members of the PFPA's Presidium, were accused of violent seizure of power. Later, the above charge was replaced with an article on a crime against a person.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 9, 2020 at 06:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.