In Azerbaijan, grandfather of "Nida" activist cut his wrist veins and died

On September 13, in Azerbaijan, Anayat Akhundov, a 74-year-old grandfather of Rashadat Akhundov, an arrested member of the board of the civil movement "Nida", died in hospital after a suicide attempt, as a result of blood loss.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 30, Rashadat Akhundov was arrested, and he was charged of illegal arms trafficking in an organized criminal grouping.

On September 12, seven activists of the civil movement "Nida", kept in custody in Azerbaijan, including Rashadat Akhundov, were charged of organizing mass riots.

"Our grandfather loved Rashadat very much, since he brought him up by himself up to his 14th birthday. The grandfather kept hoping that Rashadat would be released soon; however, new accusations were charged against Rashadat. When the grandfather learned that Rashadat would face up to 12 years of imprisonment, he cut his wrist veins," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Tyurkyan Guseinova, the wife of the activist.

On September 13, in connection with the new charges against the activists, the civil movement "Nida" made a statement, in which it treated the authorities' actions as "an attempt to silence the politically active young people."

The oppositional National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) has also expressed its concern over new charges against the members of the civil movement "Nida" and called to release unconditionally all political prisoners and "prisoners of conscience".