Azerbaijani rights defender Iskenderov arrested for his union activities, his colleagues believe

Vidadi Iskenderov, the detained leader of the NGO "Promotion to Defence of Democracy" and a member of the Civil Movement for Democracy "Public Chamber" (CMDPC), is prosecuted for his active civil position, human rights activities and participation in oppositional rallies; the accusation against him was fabricated, says the CMDPC.

Gyulyaga Aslanly, the spokesman of the CMDPC, stated "continued repressions against participants of the oppositional rally in Baku on April 2. According to his story, on April 27, another participant of the rally - Category III invalid Elnur Israfilov - was arrested.

Thus, the number of detainees because of the April 2 rally, including Iskenderov, has reached 14 persons. One more opposition was placed under police control; and two more activists were arrested on the eve of the March youth protest," said Aslanly.

Iskenderov was actively involved in oppositional rallies in March and April. During the rally, organized by the CMDPC on April 2, Iskenderov was detained and sentenced to 5 days of administrative arrest for not obeying the police.

On April 17 Iskenderov was detained two hours before the protest rally and was unable to take part in it. On the following day he was sentenced to 15 days in jail also for disobedience to the police.

As reported by Akif Alizade, Iskenderov's advocate, on May 2 at 3:00 p.m., when 2 hours remained till his release, Iskenderov was transferred from the Baku centre for administrative convicts to the Investigatory Department for Grave Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office. According to Alizade, his client was without advocate at the Office; therefore he refused to evidence. Then Iskenderov was taken to the Nasimi District Court, which sanctioned his arrest.

So far, it proved impossible to receive any comments at the press service of the General Prosecutor's Office in connection with the arrest of human rights defender Iskenderov.

Earlier, on April 20, at a press conference, Oktai Iskenderov, Vidadi's brother, and his wife Kyamalya Iskenderova stated that the fear for the fate of the head of the NGO "Promotion to Defence of Democracy"; they assert that "after exposure by Iskenderov of riggings in the course of elections, he and his family members received anonymous threats."

Earlier Iskenderov worked for the Prosecutor's Office, but was sacked for criticizing his bosses and went in for human rights activities.

Some time ago he was actively defending the rights of deceived real estate investors of the company "GEN MMC", the rights of the driver beaten by employees of the Ministry of Transports and others.

According to Iskenderov's relatives, he suffers from severe diabetes. Let us note here that this is the first arrest of a rights activist in Azerbaijan on criminal charges in recent years.