Alliance "Azerbaijan without political prisoners " demands to release activists NIDA

The trial of activists of NIDA is unjust, biased and customized, said at today's press conference the leader of the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan without political prisoners" Elshan Hasanov.

The young people were illegally arrested, subjected to physical and psychological pressure . "Violations of the law and the court continued," said Hasanov.

The Ministry of Justice has turned into a punitive machine. The prisons administered by the Ministry of Justice put pressure on detainees and convicts.

The Ministry of Justice gives falsified expert opinions. Political orders are also performed by the courts that are subordinate to the Ministry of Justice.

The Alliance urged the court to acquit 8 activists of NIDA persecuted only for planning a protest against the deaths of soldiers.

The Co-chairman and head of the Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Arzu Abdullayeva said that the NIDA activists are innocent.

" I do not believe that young people like to use and generally know how to make "Molotov cocktails ". But even if they are intended to do that , it is not a criminal act , " said Abdullayeva.

She expressed concern about the state of health of the activists in connection with the ongoing hunger strike.

She stressed that Zaur Gurbanly suffering from thalassemia needs special care, even free. In jail, Gurbanly may suffer relapses.

Abdullayev also expressed concern for the fate of the chief editor of the newspaper Tolyshi Sado Hilal Mamedov. He is in the jail where 40 of the 130 prisoners suffer from tuberculosis, and given Mamedov’s asthma, it is greater risk of disease.

A member of the Divan (Board) of the party Musavat, Tural Abbasli noted that the authorities are doing outrage for two reasons - because of no resistance from the society and the passive position of the international community.

"When there are protests in Ukraine, McCain flies there and gives cookies to the people. During similar events in Ismailly the U.S. ambassador showed no reaction," said Abbasli .

The meeting also touched on themes of the recent persecution of civil society activists.

The Head of NGO Legal Education of Sumgait Youth, Elchin Hasanov said that he is under pressure from the city authorities. According to him, the authorities accuse him of organizing the protests of citizens and their coverage in the media. In particular, due to the recent protests against the felling of trees in one of the neighborhoods of the city he was attracted to administrative liability and fined 100 manat. But there is no guarantee that next time the activist will not be arrested.

In conclusion, it was noted the need to consolidate the efforts of civil society to address the problem of political prisoners and to stop the pressure on activists. -06C -