Flashmob in support of prisoners of conscience

Baku / 03.08.17 / Turan: It so happened that the birthdays of the activists Ilkin Rustamzade and Giyas Ibrahimov coincided. It so happened that both young activists celebrate their birthday in prison.

Arrested for long periods of false accusations for their active activities, Giyas and Ilkin celebrate their birthday in prison not for the first time, but they do not fall in spirit. For Ilkin this is the fifth birthday in jail, and for Giyas - the second. They are cheerful and confident of their rightness. They are given strength by the fact that representatives of civil society do not forget the children and try to support them.

Today, a group of independent youth and representatives of political parties held a flashmob. In the sky near the house in which Ibrahimov lived before his arrest, balls with photos of both activists were launched with the words "Happy birthday Ilkin and Giyas." Simultaneously, the balls were released into the sky near Correctional Institution N2, where Giyas is kept.

"Thank you very much for supporting and not forgetting Giyas. He does not like to celebrate his birthday, but I'm very pleased that you organized such a congratulation," said the mother of the activist Shura Amiraslanov, expressing her attitude towards the youth action.

"Giyas is 23 years old, he celebrates his birthday in prison. He is unfettered by the body, but free in spirit and this is the most important thing. Of course, I would like to celebrate this day with my son at home. I wish my son and all unjustly condemned freedom. Today, my husband and I did not go to him. Honestly, he did not want to, because before the due date there is still time and we cannot miss," she said.

Amiraslanov also told about the conditions of the son's detention: "We periodically visit Giyas. At the moment, there is no pressure on him. At first, there was a lot of pressure, he was beaten, put in a cooler. But now everything is quiet. Giyas can so act in accordance with the law that they have nothing to complain about. "

Organizers of the event Samira Agayeva and Tatiana Kryuchkina told Turan that the flashmob was organized to congratulate Giyas Ibrahimov and Ilkin Rustamzade and inform more people about both illegally arrested activists.

Ilkin Rustamzade was arrested in May 2013 on charges of hooliganism. On May 6, 2014 the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to 8 years of imprisonment. Local human rights organizations, the cause of his arrest, consider the organization by him of several actions "No to soldiers' deaths" in the city center.

Giyas Ibrahimov was arrested on May 10, 2016 on charges of storing and selling drugs. On October 25, 2016, the Baku Serious Crimes Court was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Human rights activists call the true reason for his arrest that he wrote political slogans on the monument to former President Heydar Aliyev. Both activists are recognized as "prisoners of conscience". -0-