24 February 2019, 10:50
Azerbaijani oppositionist Magerram Rzaev arrested for 15 days
The decision of the court to arrest Magerram Rzaev, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), became known to his relatives only a day after his arrest. The PFPA believes that Rzaev is prosecuted for political reasons.
The oppositionists' arrests coincided with the organization of a rally on January 19 in Baku with a demand to release all the country's political prisoners and to return funds from offshore companies back to the country.
Magerram Rzaev, the chairman of the youth committee of the Yasamal district branch of the PFPA, was detained on February 21 in a Baku shopping centre. He was accused of disobeying the police, said Ilham Gusein, a member of the Presidium of the PFPA.
In October 2017, on the eve of the anti-corruption rally in Baku, the activist was also arrested for 25 days.
"Since the start of 2019, about 40 members of our party were arrested... The authorities apparently fear mass protests and arrest most active oppositionists," Mr Gusein has suggested.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 19, Rovshan Guliev, a PFPA member, was arrested for 30 days on charges of disobeying the police.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 23, 2019 at 10:25 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent
