One of PFPA leaders arrested

Fuad Gakhramanly, a member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was arrested in connection with the July 15 rally in support of the Azerbaijani Army. The party believes that he is persecuted under a fabricated and politically motivated charge.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at night on July 15, a non-sanctioned march took place in Baku in support of the Azerbaijani Army, which ended in activists' clashes with the police. The PFPA reported that several activists were detained after the action.

Fuad Gakhramanly was detained on July 23, and late in the evening on July 24, the Nasimi District Court of Baku ruled to arrest him for three months. "He has been attracted within the case of 'illegal actions' during the July 15 rally in support of the army," a PFPA source told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Like other figurants in the case, Mr Gakhramanly was charged under Articles 186.2.1 (damage or destruction of other people's property), 233 (violation of public order) and 315 (resistance or use of violence against the police) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Besides, he is charged under Article 278 (forced seizure of power or violent retention of power, violent change of the state constitutional system) and faces up to 20 years in prison on all the above articles.

"Fuad Gakhramanly is the 14th PFPA member brought to criminal liability in connection with the July 15 events," said Seimur Khazi, the PFPA deputy chairman.

The PFPA believes that the accusations put forward against Gakhramanly are fabricated and politically motivated.

"Fuad Gakhramanly was not present at the July 15 action at all. However, many other arrested persons were not there either, or they were, but didn't take part in any illegal actions. The authorities staged provocations at the July 15 rally, and have now launched repressions against the PFPA," Mr Khazi has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 25, 2020 at 04:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.