Activist Elvin Irshadov arrested in Azerbaijan

Elvin Irshadov, who criticizes Azerbaijani authorities in social networks, has been arrested for 16 days on charges of disobeying the police. His relatives believe that he is persecuted for his posts on the Facebook.

Elvin Irshadov, 30, a resident of the village of Parakend, was detained on May 18 in the city of Lankaran, his sister, Ainur Irshadova, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Quite recently, Elvin was threatened for criticizing the police on the Facebook. The district police inspector demanded from Elvin to delete the inspector's photo ... His parents were also advised that Elvin should stop writing critical things," said the activist's sister.

Gilal Mamedov, a co-chairman of the Talysh Public Council of Azerbaijan (TPCA), also believes that Irshadov is being persecuted for his posts in social networks.

"Irshadov's page 'Umar Ali' on the Facebook page is popular among residents of the southern region, since he covered the problems of the local population, including Talyshes," Mr Mamedov said.

He has also noted that Elvin's post about arrests of local officials, which stated that 'major corruptionists' remained at large, could trigger authorities' irritation.

In another post of his, the activist stated that the help intended for the poor in Lankaran had failed to reach them.

The Talysh Public Council has condemned the arrest of the activist and demanded his release.