Opposition claims pressure on activists due to protests

Baku / 12.03.18 / Turan: Six activists of the Popular Front Party (PFPA) were arrested administratively on the eve of the Saturday rally of the opposition. They received 15-20 days of administrative arrest. According to the press service of the PFPA, members of the presidium of the party Agil Maharramli, member of the Khatai branch Tahir Agayev, deputy chairman of the Binagadi department Yalchin Abdullayev and activist of the same department Hikmet Aliyev were arrested for 15 days.

Deputy head of the Khatai branch Faig Nagiyev and activist of the Binagadi branch received 20 days.

The, chairman of the Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli, stated at the rally, up to 80 party activists were summoned or detained to the police.

Before the rally, about 50 Musavat activists were summoned to the police stations, reported the leader of the party Arif Hajili.

In addition, the police were called in or the district inspectors came home to 20 NIDA activists, said the representative of the movement Abulfaz Gurbanli. Representatives of the opposition regarded these measures as pressure by the authorities to reduce the mass rally.

It should be noted that on Saturday, a group of activists of the "Future Azerbaijan" party, supporting ex-speaker of the parliament Rasul Guliyev, who is in exile, conducted a protest action demanding free elections on "Torgovaya".

The head of the party Aghasif Shakiroglu, said that about 50 people took part in the action. Already after the end of the action, when the participants dispersed, 14 people were detained. A few hours later all were released, having made a warning. The Interior Ministry has not commented on the statements of pressure on the oppositionists.-06D-