NCDF Condemns Detentions of Ali Kerimli, Jamil Hasanli and Other Opposition Activists

Baku / 17.11.18 / Turan: The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) issued a statement in which it condemned "gross police intervention" in the march to the Alley of Martyrs in Baku on the occasion of the National Revival Day.

A large number of participants were detained, including the head of the NCDF, Jamil Hasanli, and the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), Ali Kerimli, the statement said.

According to unspecified data, the number of detainees reaches 40 people.

By late evening, no information was available about Kerimli and Hasanli and other activists. They are prevented from contacting their families and lawyers.

"We are concerned for the health of the detainees, among whom there are elderly and women," the statement said.

The NCDF believes the use of police against marchers on the occasion of the National Revival Day to the Alley of Martyrs, where those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the homeland rest, clearly shows the anti-national nature of the regime.

The detentions of the leaders of the NCDF and the Popular Front Party are an indication that Azerbaijan is slipping from authoritarianism to the dictatorship regime.

The authors of the statement indicate that no arrests and repressions will force PFPA and NCDF to abandon the struggle for democracy and freedom in Azerbaijan.

"We urge all conscientious people of the country, political forces, civil society activists and free media to be together with this struggle, which has no alternative. If the Azerbaijani authorities do not want to repeat the sad fate of other dictators, they should immediately release Jamil Hasanli, Ali Kerimli and all our other like-minded people," the NCDF said. -06B--