Rights defenders report increased persecution of opposition activists in Azerbaijan

The mass arrests of government critics, civil and religious activists, taking place after the appointment of Mekhriban Alieva as Vice-President, "are intended to intimidate the society and prevent protests against the above decision." This opinion was voiced by Oktai Gyulalyev, the head of the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan without political prisoners".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 21, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev appointed his spouse Mekhriban Alieva as the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan. The opposition treated the above decision as the usurpation of power and explained mass arrests of activists by the appointment of Mekhriban Alieva.

According to Oktai Gyulalyev, in February, at least 40 people were detained. Criminal cases were instituted against three detainees, 16 others were subjected to administrative arrests, and the rest were released after the issuance of warnings and fines.

Advocate Fariz Namazly, an expert in the sphere of law, believes that activists are being arrested in cases fabricated at the police.

"During past 10 days, more than 15 people were subjected to administrative arrests. All charges against them look like carbon copies. All the above is clear evidence of the political nature of those administrative cases," Fariz Namazly told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.