Count of PFPA activists detained after rally in Baku reaches 44

After the July 15 rally in support of the army in Baku, 16 activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) were brought to criminal responsibility; 13 were arrested, ten were released after interrogation by the police; the fate of five more activists is unknown. This was announced by Seimur Khazi, PFPA Deputy Chairman.

On July 30, three more activists of the PFPA were detained – Babek Muradov, a member of the Sabunchi regional branch of the PFPA, and two members of the Apsheron regional branch, Elnur Guliev and Mushvig Guliev, Mr Khazi told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to his story, the number of detained party activists has reached 44.

On his Facebook, Ali Kerimli, the PFPA leader, has called on the authorities to stop persecuting innocent people. He offered to arrest him in exchange for the release of the detainees.

Mr Kerimli has noted that several dozen PFPA members were detained in connection with the July 15 rally; most of the detainees "didn't attend the rally at all."

Namizad Safarov, the coordinator of the "Committee against Repressions and Torture" has also treated the persecutions of PFPA activists as politically motivated.

Ali Kerimli's statement is "political bargaining," said Aidin Mirzazade, an MP and the head of the division for political analysis and forecasting of the ruling "Eni Azerbaijan" Party.

According to his version, Kerimli "is trying to provoke the Azerbaijani government to go beyond legal norms in order to use it later in his own interests," the Azeri service of Radio Liberty reports.