"Musavat" activist Kerimli was detained on suspicion of drug possession, Azerbaijani MIA asserts

Faraj Kerimli, 29, the deputy chairman of the youth organization of the oppositional "Musavat" Party, detained on July 23 in Azerbaijan, is suspected of illegal drug possession, said the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Faraj Kerimli was earlier one of the founders of the once functional group on the Facebook "Resign!", which criticized the Azerbaijani authorities.

Orkhan Mansurzade, an employee of the press service of the Azerbaijani MIA, has confirmed today the detention of Faraj Kerimli to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to Mansurzade, Kerimli was detained by the police "on the basis of the operative information; and in the course of examining his clothes, drugs were found and confiscated."

Mansurzade also stressed that Faraj Kerimli "was engaged in propaganda of psychotropic substances in social networks on the Internet."

The "Musavat" Party believes that the young man is persecuted for political reasons for his opposition activities and criticism of the authorities on the Internet. According to Elman Fattakh, the head of the department for relations with public and political organizations of the "Musavat" Party, the MIA's statement that Faraj Kerimli had promoted psychotropic substances in social networks is already an indication that the young man was arrested in connection with his activities on the Internet, that is, for his exercising the freedom of expression.