On December 11, a group of activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) attempted a protest action demanding the release of political prisoner Saleh Rustamov in connection with his prolonged hunger strike.
The action was held in the center of Baku, near the 28 May metro station.
However, as soon as the protesters began to chant the slogan “Freedom for Saleh Bek!” the police began to detain the protesters.
More than 10 people were detained, including human rights activist Zafar Akhmedov who was monitoring the action. By evening, all the detainees were released on the remote outskirts of the city.
* Supporter of the Popular Front Party, veteran of the first Karabakh war, Saleh Rustamov, was arrested in May 2018 and sentenced to 7 years 3 months in prison on a falsified case of “illegal financing of the Popular Front Party”.
Human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner. On November 6, he began an indefinite hunger strike demanding his release.
Saleh Rustamov is a veteran of the Karabakh war. In 1992, being the head of the Executive Power of the Gadabay region, he was one of the leaders of the Bashkand operation to ensure the security of the border villages of the region.