Civil Activist Not Released from Azerbaijan

The Chairman of the NGO Legal Education of Sumgait Youth Elchin Mammad was detained at the border checkpoint Red Bridge on 12 August, and he was not allowed to go to Georgia. The purpose of the trip was to participate in an international youth activist workshop Herrsching, Elchin Mammad told Turan.

"At the border crossing I was told that my leaving the country is banned. My passport was not returned, not saying who imposed the ban," said the activist.

Recall that Elchin Mammad was already detained by border guards at the Baku airport on May 29 while returning from Europe and handed over to police. Within 12 hours he was interrogated at the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GUBOP) MIA.

After the activist complained to the international human rights organization Front Line Defenders, he was summoned to GUBOP and asked why he complained to the international entity.

At the same time, the Interior Ministry spokesman said that the call to GUBOP was allegedly explained with the activist’s debt to the International Bank of Azerbaijan. However, the activist said that the amount of debt was only 1,800 manats, which he was paying back, and the bank did not impose sanctions against him and did not appeal to courts.

Note that Elchin Mammad has been repeatedly questioned in the Investigation Department on Grave Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office, and the account of the NGO headed by him was frozen. This occurred in the investigation of the criminal case against dozens of Azerbaijani NGOs receiving grants from international donors. -06D-