The organization Free Youth issued a statement condemning the repression of anti-government youth activists.
The document said that the start of repression began at the beginning of this year and is ongoing.
Courts arrested more than a dozen representatives of the independent and opposition youth on trumped-up charges.
The youth activist Ilkin Rustamzadeh is charged with two counts of Article 221 (hooliganism) and they have chosen to sentence him to detention for 2 months. Prosecutors accuse Rustamzadeh of the preparation and distribution of an Internet video with a dance in the style of "Harlem Shake". This is a purely entertaining dance, common in all countries of the world. If the prosecutor believes it spreads hooliganism, this shows the state of the law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan.
The statement authors attributed the arrest of Ilkin Rustamzadeh to his activity on social networks, as well as participation in protests against soldiers' deaths.
The statement recalled the arrested youth activists Uzeyir Mammadov, Rashad Hasanov, Rashadat Akhundov, Mohammad Azizov Shahin Novruzlu, Bakhtiyar Guliyev, Zaur Gurbanli, Tural Hassanzadeh, and Dashgin Melikov. -05D04-
Politics
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A candidate in the municipal elections for the 23rd Nasimi-Sabail electoral district, activist Djamila Alisheva, has reported administrative barriers in conducting her campaign. She claims that the district election commission is refusing to provide the necessary forms for her authorized representatives.
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On January 15, the Tbilisi Court of Appeals rejected the appeal of Afghan Sadigov, the founder of the Azel TV website, who had protested his extradition to Azerbaijan. Sadigov’s wife, Sevinj Sadigova, stated that this was the final judicial instance in Georgia making a decision on the case, Turan reported. On the other hand, lawyer Mariam Kvelashvili informed Turan that the defense would continue legal steps to prevent the extradition of Afghan Sadigov. According to his wife, Afghan has been on hunger strike for 117 days, and his health is critical.
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Jamil Hajiyev, a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces, has reported continued pressure from the police. On January 10, during the trial of opposition figure Tofig Yagublu at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, Hajiyev unfurled a banner reading "Freedom for Political Prisoners!"
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