Azerbaijani Prosecutor's Office threatens rights defender with criminal punishment

The General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan threatened human rights defender Ogtai Gyulyalyev with criminal responsibility for his posts in social networks. The activist does not agree with the claims of the General Prosecutor's Office concerning making public the facts of torture in places of detention and intends to appeal against the prosecutors' claims.

On May 13, Ogtai Gyulyalyev, the head of the Centre for the Protection of Political Prisoners, was summoned to the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan.

"I was summoned in connection with my posts on social networks and interviews in which I made public the facts of torture of prisoners. And they claimed that my posts about torture allegedly contained 'appeals for civil disobedience'," Ogtai Gyulyalyev reported.

The human rights defender called the warning of the General Prosecutor's Office "absurd."

"We are talking mainly about military people and civilians arrested in the 'Tartar case' and believers brought to criminal responsibility in connection with the Ganja and Nardaran events," said Ogtai Gyulyalyev.

Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), treats the prosecutors' warning to Ogtai Gyulyalyev as a restriction on freedom of expression.

"Activities of human rights defenders are mainly designed to draw public attention to the violation of laws and democratic freedoms," Emin Guseinov explained.