AI treats four "Nida" activists arrested in Azerbaijan as "prisoners of conscience"

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the four young public activists of the "Nida" arrested in March. The young people are being persecuted for exercising their freedom of expression and assembly, the AI believes.

The Amnesty International treats all the four activists as "prisoners of conscience", who had been arrested "solely for their peaceful exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly," and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Azizov and Guliev had launched a page on the Facebook, where they posted satirical materials about the late president of Azerbaijan Geidar Aliev and his son - the incumbent president Ilham Aliev.

Human rights activists call to immediately conduct an effective and independent investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, particularly in cases with Azizov, Guliev and Novruzlu.

Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, believes the recognition of the arrested "Nida" activists as "prisoners of conscience" completely fair.

Rasul Djafarov, the head of Human Rights Club, also agrees with the AI's opinion. In his view, young people are prosecuted for their civil activeness.