This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
On December 22, the Nargiz-2024 Prize award ceremony was held at the headquarters of the opposition Musavat party.
The chairman of the Musavat party Isa Gambar
called Gurbanov worthy of this prize due to his consistent struggle for the establishment of democratic, republican values in Azerbaijan.
It was for this activity that Gurbanov ended up in prison on trumped-up charges of smuggling.
The prize was awarded to Resplatforma board member Rovshan Agayev.
He drew attention to the fact that Gurbanov was arrested three months after the creation of the Resplatforma movement.
Leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan Ali Karimli noted that N. Yagublu's father Tofig Yagublu is also in prison.
He drew attention to the fact that T. Yagublu almost never participates in the Nargiz award ceremony because he ends up in prison.
"Tofig Yagublu is experiencing the fate of a political prisoner for the fourth time," Karimli said.
Karimli also noted that Gurbanov and Yagublu are among the 331 political prisoners in the country and they should all be released.
N. Yagublu's sister Nigar Hazi also spoke at the event.
Akif Gurbanov was arrested in connection with the Toplum TV case in March 2024.
The Nargiz Award was established in 2015 by the Musavat Party to perpetuate the memory of the activist of this organization, Nargiz Yagublu. She actively participated in the youth movement and was the deputy chairperson of the youth branch of the party. In 2014, Nargiz Yagublu moved to Russia. In April 2015, she died in Tomsk.
Previous winners of the Nargiz Prize were Abzas Media editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nida movement member Ilkin Rustamzade, young activists Giyas Ibrahimov/Bayram Mammadov, deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Gezal Bayramli, eco-activist Javid Gara, lawyer Agil Laij, blogger Mehman Huseynov and Musavat member Ayhan Hajibeyli.
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