EMDSC condemned pressure on Vafa Nagi

Baku/23.06.20/Turan: The Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDSC) condemned the pressure on Vafa Nagi, a member of the municipal council of the village of Kholgaragashli, Neftchala region.

According to the EMDSC, Nagi, after being elected a member of the municipality in the elections on December 23, 2019, began to defend actively the rights and interests of her voters, demanding accountability and transparency of the activities of the local government. She also demanded that the head of the municipal council, in accordance with the law, organize meetings of this body.

On June 8, Nagi made an urgent offer to disclose the budget and property information of the municipality.

The head of the municipal council, Alibala Salimov, instead of answering the requests of a member of this structure, launched a campaign of pressure on Nagiya and its discredit.

On June 10, Elshan Nagiyev (Nagi’s brother) was summoned to the Neftchala District Police Department and fined 100 manat. 

As a reason for this, he indicated the “organization” of a protest rally in the village of Kholgaragashly on April 15.

However, despite the fact that about 50 villagers took part in the rally, only Nagiyev was fined.  

On June 16, after a dispute at a municipal council meeting between Salimov and Nagi, portraits of Nagi in a beach suit with the inscription “Lady Gaga” were distributed throughout the village.

EMDSC demanded that law enforcement agencies investigate the pressure against Nagi and attempts to discredit her, punish those who committed these illegal actions. –21D06