22:56, 24 July 2019

Azerbaijani oppositionist complained about refusal to give foreign passport

Gezyal Bairamly (in the foreground). Photo Bayram Isgandarov / Facebook Gozel Bayramli

Gezyal Bairamly, a deputy chair of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has associated the refusal to issue her a foreign passport to travel abroad for treatment with her opposition activities. Ms Bairamly was pardoned by the presidential decree; and there are no obstacles for her to receive a passport, Yalchin Imanov, a lawyer, believes.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 23, 2018, Gezyal Bairamly was sentenced to three years in prison within the case on smuggling. She denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. In this March, Bairamly was pardoned by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan.

Because of her health problems, Gezyal Bairamly needs to travel abroad for medical treatment, but she was denied a foreign passport. She has noted that the refusal, most likely, comes from the authorities of the country.

Yalchin Imanov, a law expert and a former member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association, believes that the issuance of a passports may be denied only if a citizen has not served his/her criminal sentence.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 24, 2019 at 00:58 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.