A new wave of pressure on the opposition in the NAR

Yesterday a meeting was held in the Nakhchivan regional branch of Public Chamber. The meeting discussed the political situation in the autonomous republic (NAR) and expressed concern about the recent human rights violations in the region. This is stated in the communication of the regional branch of the Public Chamber. Particular concern was expressed about the arrest of a member of the regional branch of Public Chamber businessman Mohammed Gurbanov and his son-in-law Nadir Mammadov.

December 8, they were beaten at the Sadarak customs because they refused to pay a bribe for the passage of goods brought from Turkey. They are accused of resisting arrest and customs. During the incident, local journalists Elman Abbasov and Ilgar Nasibov also suffered for fulfilling their professional responsibilities. The journalists were seized two video cameras and voice recorder, and so far they do not return the equipment.

Moreover, later Mammadov under torture was taken testimony that their conflict with the customs officers was allegedly "incited" by Abbasov and Nasibov.

   Last week, they were subjected to Sadarak district prosecutor and interrogated for many hours, accompanied by moral and physical pressure. In particular, during the interrogation the police chief and other police officers came out in uniform and in plain clothes.

  As for Gurbanov and Mammadov, they within 3 days after the arrest were not given water and food, which is a form of torture classified by the UN convention. Their goods in the amount of 9,000 manats have not been returned either. The family is not returned the freight car of the businessmen.

Journalists and human rights activists who are interested in the matter are subject to surveillance and threats over the phone.

   The meeting participants regarded it as a violation of freedom of expression by the authorities and property rights and other rights and freedoms guaranteed by international conventions.

They stressed the ruthless regime of NAR to citizens demanding their rights. The meeting called on the Azerbaijani authorities to put pressure on the government of the NAR and the people of the country to raise their voices in protest against the tyranny of the ruling in the autonomous mode.

 Meanwhile, after a meeting of the regional branch of the Public Chamber on December 30 pressure on the participants began.

   "I got a call from an unknown number and was threatened that they would do such things to me that nobody would see me any longer. They told me to "be smart," said the head of the regional branch of PFPA Yashar Bagirsoy.

There were also threats by phone calls to all the participants of the meetings in Nehram.

Telephone threats were also made to the heads of regional branches of the Association Great Azerbaijan and the Open Society Party, llham Narimanoglu and Nureddin Bayramov. -06D -