Azerbaijan: Tofig Yagublu's custody extended

Today, the Nasimi District Court of Baku has ruled to extend the arrest of Tofig Yagublu, Deputy Chairman of the "Musavat" Party until December 4.

Let us remind you that Tofig Yagublu was arrested this February this year following the riots in the city of Ismailly on January 23-24. On April 26, Yagublu was charged with organizing mass disturbances, accompanied by violence and pogroms.

Investigators have motivated the extension of Yagublu's arrest by the complexity of the criminal case and the need for additional time to investigate all the circumstances, Nemat Karimli, Yagublu's advocate, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Kerimli said that Yagublu had reiterated at the trial that he was persecuted for political reasons. The Deputy Chairman of the "Musavat" Party announced his intention to continue his political struggle.

However, the judge, after hearing Yagublu, decided to extend his arrest. "We disagree with this decision and intend to file an appeal," said Kerimli.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 8 the Amnesty International released a statement "Azerbaijan Starts Presidential Campaign with 14 Prisoners of Conscience", where Yagublu and Ilgar Mamedov, the head of the civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), who was also arrested after the riots in Ismailly, where put on the list of political prisoners.