Elvin Zeynalov
Elvin Zeynalov, a religious activist living in the village of Mashtaga, was detained on January 31 around noon by individuals in plain clothes outside a store near his home. According to his relatives, later in the evening, Zeynalov was brought back home by people in black clothing, who conducted a search. They took Zeynalov's pants from the wardrobe, put marijuana in the pocket, then "seized" the drugs, filmed the video, and then took the activist away again.
His family members have been unable to determine his location despite contacting the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ombudsman’s office. Zeynalov works day labor and uses his earnings to support the families of previously arrested believers and religious activists. He is the nephew of Etibar Ismailov, a veteran of the Karabakh War, who was once convicted for his involvement in the Nardaran events of 2015 and was re-arrested a year ago on charges of illegal drug trafficking, as reported by a rights activist focused on defending the rights of believers.
According to the latest data from human rights defenders, there are 331 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, two-thirds of whom are believers and religious activists, with the overwhelming majority arrested on drug-related charges.
Politics
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On January 31, the trial of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu continued at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, where the examination of documents resumed. Yagublu pointed out the falsification of the search protocols related to the search at his home. He drew attention to the fact that the protocol stated that on December 14, 2023, at 16:00, the investigator completed the questioning of the "victim" and decided to conduct a search.
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During the winter session of PACE at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg, a "parallel event" was held on January 30 dedicated to the "alarming human rights crisis in Azerbaijan." The hearings were organized by the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and PACE member, co-chair of the Group of Unified European Left (Group of the Unified European), Spanish parliamentarian Laura Castel Fort.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine were underway, emphasizing his commitment to resolving the conflict but acknowledging the challenges in doing so.
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A small medical aviation aircraft, a LEAR-55, carrying six people, including crew members, crashed into a residential area in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. broadcaster CBS reported on Thursday.
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