Another opposition activist deported from Germany detained

Baku/20.04.22/Turan: Civil activist Samir Ashurov, who was deported from Germany on March 29, was detained by the police the day before.  His wife Nurana Ashurova told Turan that her husband was detained on April 19 at about 9:30 pm in Nizami district of Baku.  Samir was not able to report it until 4 a.m. on the 20th.

"Samir said that a criminal case was being falsified against him for allegedly stabbing someone. But none of this happened. He does not know the person he allegedly stabbed at all," Ashurova noted.

Today, she was received by the chief of the Nizami district police department. "I was told that Samir had allegedly stabbed someone named Elshan Nabiyev. The chief avoided answering my questions about where, under what circumstances it happened and said nothing about the identity of the "victim".

I was told that this man was at City Hospital No. 3 in the Sabunchu district. I met at the hospital with Nabiev's doctor and he said that he had a damaged intestine", - N. Ashurova reported.

In turn, chief of the Interior Ministry press service Elshad Hajiyev told Turan that on April 19 at about 9 pm, resident of Baku Samir Ashurov stabbed resident of Sheki Elshan Nabiyev on grounds of personal conflict.

A criminal case on the fact has been initiated in Nizami district police department under Article 126 (intentional infliction of grievous harm to health) of the Criminal Code, and investigative work is ongoing, Hajiyev continued.

Under this article Ashurov faces a prison sentence of 3 to 8 years.

Zafar Akhmedov, a member of the NGO Defence Line, expressed fears for Ashurov's fate.

"The fate of those readmitted from Germany is becoming a source of concern among human rights activists. Ashurov became the fifth person arrested in the last five months. This cannot be accidental.  Those who have been arrested in Germany are engaged in political activities and criticize the Azerbaijani authorities.  We have already applied to the EU representation and the Embassies of European countries not to return those who can expect arrest in Azerbaijan," Ahmedov said.

Samir Ashurov emigrated from Azerbaijan in September 2018 after he was administratively arrested twice for three months for participating in protest rallies.

On March 29, 2022, he was expelled along with a group of 38 people. Ashurov claimed threats to arrest him upon his arrival. On April 1 he was questioned at the General Prosecutor's Office as a witness in the case of illegal migration.  After leaving the Prosecutor's Office, he said that the threat of arrest persisted.-03B06-