Ilham Aliyev Went to Understand Causes of Defeat of Olympians

Yesterday there was a meeting of the members of the Committee to Protect the Rights of the Arrested Editor of the Newspaper Tolyshi Sado (Voice of the Talysh), Hilal Mamedov, with the Adviser to the U.S. Embassy for Political Affairs, Jeff Kurgen.

During the two-hour conversation the Committee Co-Chairs, human rights activist Arzu Abdullayeva and the Chief Editor of Tolyshon Sado, Rafiq Jalilov, as well as the lawyer Ramiz Mammadov informed the US diplomat about the Hilal Mamedov case.

The diplomat was informed of the violations during the arrest and search of Mamedov, as well as the reasons for his prosecution and the fabricated nature of the charges. According to the members of the Committee, Mamedov was arrested for his journalistic and human rights activities. The members of the committee believe that the international community should recognize Mamedov "prisoner of conscience."

Kurgen, in turn, said that the issue of Mamedov’s arrest is in the focus of the U.S. Embassy and will continue to be monitored, the Committee for the Protection of Mamedov’s Human rights stated.

* The Chief Editor of Tolyshi Sado and the Deputy Head of the Talysh Cultural Centre, Hilal Mamedov, was arrested on charges of drug possession on June 21. Already on July 4 the authorities put forward new charges against him - under Articles 274 (treason) and 283.2.2 (inciting national, racial, social and religious hatred, hostility and ethnic discrimination).

According to the conviction of the local and international democratic community, Mamedov is persecuted on political grounds for his active citizenship and human rights activities.

Mammadov is the author of the popular online video of Azerbaijani Meykhana (rhymes) "Who are you? Come on, goodbye!" -06D-