Gadim Bakirov Arrested for 25 Days (UPDATED)

Today the Surakhani court sentenced the PFPA activist Gadim Bakirov to 25 days of administrative arrest. He was found guilty under Article 535.1 (no subordination to police) of the Code of Administrative Offences. The activist was arrested the day before. PFPA believes the activist is persecuted on trumped-up charges for political purposes. -06D--

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The activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), Fuad Ahmadli and Gadim Bakirov, were detained in Baku on August 18. What they are charged with is not yet known.

As Turan was told in PFPA, the head of the Khatai branch of the Youth Committee of PFPA, Fuad Ahmadli, was detained by the State Security Service (SSS). During the search in his apartment several books were seized.

His father was called by a state-appointed lawyer, who said that with regard to Ahmadli a decision was taken to detain him as a suspect for 48 hours.

The activist of the Surakhani district branch of PFPA, Gadim Bakirov, was arrested by officers of the same district's police. It is interesting that the police first detained his brother to make him surrender.

Bakirov will stand before the trial on August 19.

Since August 12 in Azerbaijan, the authorities have arrested the executive secretary of the movement REAL, Natig Jafarli, two activists of the organization, Togrul Ismayilov and Elshan Gasimov (both for seven days), the PFPA activist Massoud Rzaly (for 30 days), and a member of NIDA Elgiz Gahramanli.

Jafarli and Gahramanli are facing criminal charges and are subject to pretrial detention for 4 months.

Observers believe the arrests are aimed at curbing the opposition activity in the run-up to the referendum on amendments to the Constitution, extending presidential powers. -06B--