Five oppositionists warned by Azeri GUBOP

Today, the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (known as GUBOP) has issued a warning to five oppositional political and public figures for their criticism addressed to the authorities and law enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan, related, among other things, to the investigation of the so-called "Nardaran case".

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Oktay Gyulyalyev, the coordinator of the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan Without Political Prisoners", that today at the GUBOP he was questioned about the activities of the Alliance in defending a person accused under the "Nardaran case".

"The message to me was to cease my social activism and advocacy work. They made me understand that otherwise I might have more serious consequences," Mr Gyulyalyev said.

Eldaniz Guliev, a filmmaker and the Chairman of the Association of Azerbaijani Intelligentsia, was also summoned today to the GUBOP; he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that agents held "a prophylactic talk" with him associated with his harsh criticism of the authorities, contained in Guliev's publications in the social network Facebook.

Also today, two Deputy Chairs of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) – Gezyal Bayramly and Nureddin Mamedli – were also summoned to the GUBOP. According to their story, they were warned in connection with their publications on the Facebook, covering the "Nardaran case".

Arif Gadjily, the head of the "Musavat" Party, also was summoned to the GUBOP today. He said that the talk was about the growth of religious radicalism in Azerbaijan, about financing of such forces from abroad, and the need to deal with them on the part of the "Musavat" Party.

Ali Kerimli, the leader of the PFPA, believes that the oppositionists were summoned to the GUBOP for "injecting fear into the society."

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