HRW calls on Azerbaijani authorities to release two young activists

The international organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) has called for the release of Mamedov and Ibragimov, arrested in Azerbaijan after the appearance of graffiti on the pedestal of the monument to Geidar Aliev.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that May 12, Bairam Mamedov, an activist of the "Nida" movement, and Giyas (Giyaseddin) Ibragimov, a Facebook user, were arrested on charges of large-scale drug dealing. Their advocate said that the activists told him about being tortured.

Azerbaijani authorities used false charges of drug dealing to send activists to long-term imprisonment, the HRW writes in its website.

According to the HRW, Azerbaijani authorities had violated the right of Ibragimov and Mamedov to access to an advocate of their choice, the right to defence in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights.

The HRW has called on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately drop the charges associated with drug dealing. Should the authorities want to punish them for the graffiti, then, this offence, according to the Administrative Code, is punishable by a fine.

The press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has denied any political motivation in the case of Mamedov and Ibragimov, as well as the use of torture against them.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.