Arrested Nida Activists Face Criminal Charges

Formal structures have confirmed the arrest and prosecution of three young activiss of the civil movement Nida. According to the joint press release of the National Security and the Attorney General, they are detained on the basis of the investigation of operational information about the 3 persons intending to incite people to violence and confrontation in the planned March 10 illegal action.

Thus, during the joint operations conducted by the staff of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of National Security, during the search of the apartment of the 3rd year student of Vocational School N 17 Bakhtiyar Guliyev in the Sabunchu district were discovered 19 bottles of a quickly flammable fluid called "Molotov cocktail" and drugs – 255.40 grams of resinous cannabis and 15.48 grams of dried marijuana.

In the apartment of the third year student of Odlar Yurdu University in the Nasimi district Shahin Novruzlu they found 3 bottles of "Molotov cocktails", money – 94,000 AZN and 252.27 grams of resinous cannabis.

In the lodgings of the 3rd year student of BSU Mamed Azizov they found 174.54 grams of dried marijuana and 28 leaflets with the text: "democracy is urgently required: tel.: +994 address: Azerbaijan".

In these cases the Investigation Department of Grave Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case under Article 234.1 (illegal purchase or possession of drugs for sale) and 228.1 (illegal possession, carrying, and transportation of firearms and explosives or explosive facilities) of the Criminal Code. 

Guliyev and Novruzlu are charged under Sections 234.1 and 228.1, and Azizov is charged under 234.1.

During the initial investigation it was found that all three of these individuals from the middle of 2012 as drug users and members of the civil movement Nida participated in a number of illegal activities of the organization, as well as manufactured the “Molotov cocktails” found in their places. 

In addition, it was found that Azizov after participating in a protest on January 26 wrote on social networks that peaceful actions do not benefit, and therefore “Molotov cocktails” must be used to cause the effect of fear among the people.

Guliyev and Novruzlu in their Facebook correspondence discussed using the following actions of "Molotov cocktails" - sound and smoke bombs to increase the efficiency of the action and provoke people to aggressive steps, and the latter prepared 10 "Molotov cocktails."

Novruzlu on February 23 posted on his profile on Facebook video tutorials for home-made "Molotov cocktails", with sound and smoke.

On March 1 Novruzlu set up for the March 10 protest and wrote on his Facebook page of the need to use these tools in the action. On the same day he bought Ven Detta masks in large quantities and distributed them. Then he discussed the acquisition of potassium to make smoke bombs.

The investigation is investigating issues, where these individuals produced "Molotov cocktails," the sources of acquisition of drugs, as well as the origins of the 94 thousand manats detected at Novruzlu.

Note that even before the spread message of the National Security and the General Prosecutor's Office about this, 20 leading lawyers and human rights activists in Azerbaijan made an open appeal to the law enforcement authorities on the detention of activists and raids on their homes. In particular, the paper points out that these measures were accompanied by gross violations of procedural law, without warrants or invited solicitors. It was also stated that their families were not informed of the place of their detention. No information was provided to the lawyers either. The appeal assessed the prosecution of the activists as an attempt to exert political pressure on the activists for the upcoming March 10 protest against non-combat deaths. -06D –