Protection of the arrested activists will be coordinated

Human Rights Committee  to defend Tofig Yagublu , Deputy chairman of the party "Musavat", condemned  new, more serious criminal charges.

At the meeting of the committee on May 7,  at the headquarters of the "Musavat" party, Gubad Ibadoglu,  the head of the social structure, called unfounded and politically motivated prosecution of Yagublu.

Yagublu was arrested  on February 4 on charges  of Ismayilli events on January 23-24. He was charged under Article 233 (organization of actions aimed at disturbing public order, or participation in them) and 315.2 (resisting the police, representing a threat to life and health.) In late April,  the Article 233 was replaced by the Article 220.1 (organizing riots, accompanied by pogroms and arson.) Yagublu  can be imprisoned  up to 12 years.

The members of the Committee to protect the  rights  of Yagublu believe that the authorities are afraid of public protests and arrests of activists trying to intimidate society. It was decided to establish a coordination council of all public committees in defense of activists in order to ensure  mutual actions. 

The leader of the Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli, considers it necessary to consolidate the opposition in the new format in order to enhance the masses. In addition, the opposition must achieve restoration of the PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Institute in Azerbaijan.

Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, the head of the Center to Protect of Freedom of Religion, noted the lack of attention to the democratic rights of arrested believers.

The leader of the party "Musavat" Isa Gambar criticized  the Amnesty Act  adopted today by the Parliament. This is the third amnesty over the last six years, which does not apply to political prisoners and religious activists.

The Articles subject to  amnesty are selected so  that not to apply then  to political prisoners, he said. -05C06-