Today, a group of activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) held a protest in front of the Specialized Medical Institution of the Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan. They demanded the release of PFPA member Niyameddin Ahmedov.
The protesters held posters with portraits of Niyameddin Ahmedov and another arrested activist Zamin Salaev, chanting slogans “Freedom for political prisoners!”, “Resign!” and etc.
They called on local media and human rights activists not to remain indifferent to the fate of the arrested PFPA members – Niyameddin Ahmedov, Agil Humbatov, Pasha Umudov, Agil Maharramli.
At the same time, they indicated that they had gathered because Niyameddin Ahmedov had been on hunger strike for the 13th day in the said penitentiary institution.
Police officers demanded that the protesters disperse due to the fact that due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is not allowed to gather more than 5 people.
Then several protesters were put into police cars and taken away in an unknown direction. Among them were journalists Zarifa Novruzova, Fatima Movlamli and Aysel Umudova, as well as human rights activists Zafar Ahmedov and Rufat Safarov, who were monitoring the action.
The head of the public relations and media department of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Elshad Hajiyev told Turan that there were no detainees – the removal of the protesters from the territory was ensured. However, the PFPA said that the detainees were taken to the 3rd department of the Khazar district police department.