Eighteen Azerbaijani oppositionists sacked on political grounds

Fourteen activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) have lost their jobs after the taking part in the oppositional rally on April 8 in Baku. Four other party members said that they had been dismissed after their participation in the rally against amendments to the Constitution, which took place on September 17, 2016. Only one oppositionist has managed to be reinstated at work through the court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in late April, PFPA activists began stating dismissals for political reasons. By May 4, five persons reported that they had been fired.

According to Gezyal Bairamly, Deputy Chairman of the PFPA, the party is drafting documents for the court.

Ilham Guliev and Yashar Mamedov, dismissed activists of the Gabala and Oguz regional PFPA organizations, worked as school teachers; Galandar Aslanov from the Goranboy district PFPA organization was an engineer.

"The fate of Elnur Faradjev from the Neftchala district Organization was the worst: he worked for the 'Azer-Yod' LLC; in September he was fired, arrested in December, and on May 4 sentenced to three years in prison," Ms Bairamly has reminded, adding that "these measures are aimed at intimidating the society, so that people don't attend even the rallies sanctioned by the authorities."

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