Two oppositionists detained in Baku

Amil Mamedzade, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), detained on Monday, February 4, 2019, has been sentenced to 25 days of arrest. The fate of activist Elnur Djabbarly is not yet known, said Ilham Gusein, member of the PFPA's Presidium.

According to Gusein, Djabbarly was taken away from his home on February 3 and brought to a police station. Amil Mamedzade was detained on Monday.

"Usually, our activists are accused of disobeying policemen," Mr Gusein said.

According to his story, in January 2019, 30 PFPA activists were arrested. The party believes that all the arrests were politically motivated.

"Today, Emil Salimov, the head of the PFPA's youth committee, and Nidjat Abdullazade, a member of the PFPA's Supreme Majlis, have been released after 20 days in jail. But apparently, in order to fill in the vacant beds, Elnur Djabbarly and Amil Mamedzade were arrested yesterday and today ... Authorities are seriously frightened by the growth of people's movement … but they don't understand that it's no longer possible to intimidate people with arrests," Ali Kerimli, the PFPA leader, has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 19, the opposition arranged a rally in Baku demanding the release the country's political prisoners, including the blogger Mekhman Guseinov, and also to return the funds withdrawn to offshore firms back to the country.