"Musavat" activist detained in Azerbaijan

Rufat Bakhshibeili, an activist of the opposition "Musavat" Party, was detained after a search in his apartment near Baku; the whereabouts of the oppositionist is unknown, his party comrades have reported.

Rufat Bakhshibeili (Bakhyshov) is a member of the Mejlis of the "Musavat" Party and an employee of the opposition Internet edition "Bastainfo". On June 16, men in civilian clothes came to the Bakhshibeili's rented apartment in the settlement of Khokmali near Baku, introduced themselves as policemen and searched the apartment, Mustafa Gadjibeili, the editor-in-chief of the "Bastainfo", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"According to Rufat's family, at first five law enforcers came and took him away. Then, two men in civilian clothes appeared and carried out a search, taking away his phone and several pieces of Bakhshibeili's clothes. These people introduced themselves as policemen; they arrived in a Niva car. Rufat's mobile phone is inaccessible; and his page 'Rufat Alizamanogly' on the Facebook was closed after detention," said Gadjibeili, suggesting that law enforcers could detain the activist because of the publications on the Facebook. "He criticized the authorities much and sharply; so it's hard to say for which post he was detained. He is very active in the 'Musavat' Party too," Mr Gadjibeili has added.

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