11:04, 10 August 2013

AI: Azerbaijan launches presidential campaign, having 14 political prisoners

Participants of “silent” protest at the Appeal Court building holding portrait of Mamed Azizov. Baku, March 27, 2013. Photo by Parvana Bairamova for the “Caucasian Knot”.

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) has demanded to release 14 political and civil society activists, human rights defenders and journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

During the ruling of President Ilham Aliev, the human rights situation in Azerbaijan has deteriorated. This was declared by the AI's official statement released on August 8.

According to the AI's information, in recent months, in Azerbaijan, activists who expressed their critical thoughts in social networks were persecuted.

For example, on July 3, Dashgyn Melikov, a 22-year-old activist of the opposition Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP), was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment. The AI believes that the criminal case against the young man was fabricated in retaliation for his political activities.

The AI has also recognized "prisoners of conscience" Ilkin Rustamzade, a member of the civil movement "Free Youth", human rights activist Bakhtiyar Mamedov, Ilham Amiraslanov, an activist of the "Kura" headquarters, Hilal Mamedov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Tolyshi Sado", and seven activists of the civil movement "Nida" (Shout) Bakhtiyar Guliev, Shakhin Novruzlu, Mamed Azizov, Rashad Gasanov, Uzeir Mamedli, Rashadat Akhundov and Zaur Gurbanly.

The AI has also included in the list of "prisoners of conscience" two opposition politicians Ilgar Mamedov, a leader of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), and Tofiq Yagublu, Deputy Chairman of the "Musavat" Party. Meanwhile, the AI's statement emphasizes that at the time of his arrest, Ilgar Mamedov was a potential presidential candidate.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent