Fuad Ahmadli, Chairman of Khatai District Youth Committee of the opposition party Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), was arrested by officers of the State Security Service (SSS) early on August 18. According to his relatives, the SSS officers detained him on the street and then searched his apartment. All of the books found in Fuad Ahmadli’s house were seized. The youth activist’s father says among the seized books there were the likes of “How to Recite Surah Yaseen” and books authored by writer Aziz Nesin. A 48-hour detention order has been issued against Fuad Ahmadli and he is currently in SSS custody, his court-appointed lawyer has told his father.
On August 18, officers from Surakhani District Police Department raided another youth activist, APFP Youth Committee’s Surakhani branch member Gadim Bakirov’s house and took his brother hostage. They demanded that Gadim Bakirov visit the Department. Having been informed of the incident a few minutes later, Gadim Bakirov went to the Department and was held incommunicado for one day. On August 19, he was brought before Surakhani District Court, which sentenced him to 25-day administrative arrest. Bakirov was found guilty under Article 535 (disobedience to lawful requirements of police) of the Administrative Offences Code.
APFP Youth Committee condemned the arrests and called on the authorities to stop repression.
It bears reminding that, APFP Youth Committee’s Khatai branch activist Masud Rzali was also detained on August 2, and was sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest by a court decision. The youth activist was convicted of resisting the police.