Protest in Defense of Igbal Abilov in Strasbourg
On January 27, a protest in support of Igbal Abilov, a researcher arrested in Azerbaijan, took place in Strasbourg. The picket was organized by friends and colleagues of the young scholar in connection with the opening of the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The PACE agenda included pressing issues, including the problem of human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan.
"The goal of the protest is to draw attention to the unjust arrest of Igbal Abilov, whose detention in July 2024 was politically motivated," the organizers of the picket stated. Participants in the protest displayed placards and banners calling for Abilov’s release and respect for human rights and academic freedoms in Azerbaijan.
The organizers expressed hope for increased international pressure to secure Abilov's release and called on the Council of Europe to take a firm stance on the issue.
*Igbal Abilov was arrested on July 22, 2024, on charges of treason, calls against the state on behalf of foreign organizations, and incitement of national and religious hatred. It is claimed that all these crimes were committed under the instruction of Armenian intelligence agencies.
Abilov denies the charges and asserts that he was engaged solely in academic activities. A large group of scholars from different countries appealed to the Azerbaijani leadership, requesting assistance in securing Abilov’s release. Human rights activists have recognized him as a political prisoner. On November 19, 2024, a court extended Abilov’s detention for another four months.
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