Activists of Islamic Party detained in Azerbaijan

Employees of the Nariman District Police Department of the city of Baku have detained Mokhsun Samedov, leader of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA), his driver Mirgusein Kazymov, Vagif Abdullaev, head of the organizational division of the IPA, and a member of the Party Elchin Gasanov.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Akif Geidarli, the press secretary of the IPA, that Kazymov, Abdullaev and Gasanov was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest "for disobeying the police", while Samedov was brought to the SIZO (pre-trial detention facility) of the Ministry for National Security (MNS). According to Geidarli, Samedov was arrested for 13 days.

The press secretary did not know what Samedov was accused of. "We're now clarifying the issue," he added. According to Geidarli, Samedov had no advocate by then.

Mr Geidarli did not rule out that the leader and activists of his Party were persecuted for political reasons in the context of the Party's efforts to defend believers' rights.

Arif Babaev, head of the press service of the MNS neither confirmed nor denied the information that the IPA leader was kept at the SIZO of the MNS. "I have no such information," he said.