Activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Elnur Guliyev received 30 days of administrative arrest. The activist’s fellow party members called his persecution unfounded and politically motivated.
Elnur Guliyev was detained by the police and arrested by the decision of the Nasimi District Court
Guliyev’s fate became clear only in the afternoon of April 9, the representative of the PFPA press service Tezekhan Miralamli told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
“Unfortunately, our fears were confirmed. Elnur Guliyev was detained by the police and arrested administratively for 30 days by the decision of the Nasimi District Court,” the activist said.
At the same time, the activist’s associates do not yet have information regarding the offenses imputed to Guliyev.
“The police informed his brother about Elnur Guliyev’s arrest. He is not knowledgeable about these matters and did not specify what Elnur was accused of. Apparently, he was arrested under the traditional articles for opposition members: “Disobedience to the police” and/or “Petty hooliganism”. We have already made a preliminary agreement with lawyer Fakhraddin Mekhtiyev. After concluding the agreement, he will officially request the court’s decision, meet with Elnur and file an appeal. Whatever is written in the police report and the court’s decision, it is obvious that it is not true. Elnur was detained when he was going to the home of the PFPA leader Ali Kerimli and they were supposed to go to a meeting with the German ambassador together,” Miralamli noted. It has not yet been possible to obtain comments from the police regarding the reasons for Elnur Guliyev’s arrest. The Nasimi District Court only confirmed the fact of Guliyev’s arrest for 30 days, refraining from detailed comments. In January, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) noted a new wave of repression against civil society, condemning the arrests of journalists and activists. On March 22 and April 1, two party activists, Kenan Zeynalov and Zaur Rzali, were arrested.