Baku police warns oppositionist Fuad Gakhramanly

On May 16, Fuad Gakhramanly, Deputy Chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was summoned to the Baku police, where he received a warning concerning his posts in social networks. Mr Gakhramanly treats the police's actions as illegitimate.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 25, 2017, a Baku court sentenced Talekh Bagirzade, the leader of the "Muslim Unity" Movement and his 16 supporters to prison terms from 10 to 20 years within the case of riots in the dwelling settlement of Nardaran.

According to Mr Gakhramanly, he was told at the police that in his posts he "had admitted the statements that were detrimental to the stability in the country."

He believes that his summon to the police was caused by his speech on May 10 at the hearings on "Repression and torture against political prisoners", where he condemned repressions and torture against political prisoners, especially Islamists.

Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Elections and Training Democracy (CMETD), believes that in recent months, the authorities have refused to prosecute their critics, but are using the "soft power" – arrests, short-term detentions and warnings.

"Apparently, they are exerting psychological pressure in this way ... However, the situation in the country is changing; people are no longer afraid and demand their due rights," Mr Mamedli has stated.