Activists treat detentions of PFPA members in Baku as political discrimination

Human rights defenders have condemned detentions of protesters and journalists in Baku. They called persecutions of members of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) political discrimination.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on Saturday (July 18), the PFPA announced the detention of eight party members at a rally in support of the Azerbaijani Army in Baku.

"The police, by using disproportionate force, dispersed the crowd," said Anar Mamedli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Training Centre.

It is noted that law enforcers used "rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas."

Activists treat the detention of Anar Abdulla and Firudin Salimov, the journalists, who were filming the event, and Elvin Djabizade, an activist, "who was not in front of the parliament," as unjustified.

Also, activists have treated the detention of the PFPA members, Asif Yusifli, Seimur Akhmedzade, Mukhammed Imanly and Elvin Mamedov, and Elgiz Gakhraman, an activist of the "Nida" Movement, as political discrimination.

The authors of the statement have condemned the keeping the detainees in the police for more than 48 hours.

"Due to the poor custody conditions, the health condition of the photojournalist, Firudin Salimov, has deteriorated; an ambulance was called to him ... We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect the freedom of assembly and the right to a fair trial," the statement said.