In Azerbaijan, leader of NGO "Promoting Democracy" claims pressure of local authorities

On April 8, Emil Mamedov, the leader of the Public Association "Promoting Democracy" acting in the Salyan District of Azerbaijan, sent an open letter to President Ilham Aliev and Ramil Usubov, Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA). Emil Mamedov claims the local authorities subject the NGOs to pressure.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 4, in the Salyan District, Tofig Gasymov, a 25-year-old member of the NGO "Promoting Democracy", was sentenced to ten days of administrative arrest on charges of "disorderly conduct". Emil Mamedov, the NGO's leader, believes the arrest was politically motivated.

In his appeals, Emil Mamedov has claimed that the campaign against him has been started after he wrote complaints to President Ilham Aliev and Ramiz Mekhtiev, the head of the presidential administration, about "negative phenomena in the activities of the district leaders and abuses in use of public funds."

In his appeal to the President and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Emil Mamedov also drew their attention to the arrest of Tofig Gasymov, a member of the NGO "Promoting Democracy".

Emil Mamedov has added that because of absence of independent advocates in the Salyan District, Tofig Gasymov cannot obtain legal protection.

In his turn, Zeinal Veliev, an inspector of the Salyan District Police Department, has refuted the claims about political motivation of Tofig Gasymov's arrest.