Power Increases Repression against Movement of NIDA

On Saturday there were detained two members of the board of the civil movement NIDA Uzeir Mammadli and Rashadat Akhundov. They were taken to the Department of Investigation of Grave Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office. They were charged under Article 228.3 (illegal possession of firearms, explosives and equipment in an organized criminal group) of the Criminal Code. After that the young people were brought to the Nasimi District Court, where in respect of them there was selected a preventive measure of arrest for a period of 3 months.

The lawyers of the young people stated that their clients do not plead guilty.

The lawyer of Mammadli Fehreddin Mehdiyev told Turan that the investigation did not provide conclusive primary evidence against the defendant and his unfounded arrest was motivated by the need for a criminal case in which four other activists had been arrested earlier.

The lawyers of Mammadli and Akhundov intend to file an appeal against the arrest.

Recall that on March 7, the activists of NIDA Bakhtiyar Guliyev, Shaheen Novruzlu and Mamed Azizov were arrested. They were accused of preparing acts of violence during the upcoming protest on March 10 against deaths of soldiers in the army. According to the investigation, in the apartments of the activists there were found explosives and drugs. However, their relatives said that the substances were brought by employees of law enforcement agencies. March 14 another activist of NIDA Rashad Hasanov was arrested. International human rights organization Amnesty International has recognized the detainees "prisoners of conscience."

A Board member of NIDA Turgut Gambar said the persecution of the activists is for political reasons.

In his view, "the authorities seek to weaken NIDA». However, he said, the arrests have reinforced the determination of the members of the movement fighting for democracy.   -16B06--