Pressure Exerted on Activist’s Parents

The civil activist Bashir Suleymanli announced pressure on his parents living in the Yevlakh region.

Yesterday evening his father was summoned to the head of the Yevlakh District Police Department.

The man was questioned about his son's activities and his connections in Yevlakh, asked the numbers of his mobile phone and car, etc.

According to Suleymanli, the police had previously phoned his father and asked about the activities of his son, other children and where they work.

“These illegal measures cause concern and stress for my parents. My mother suffers from an acute form of diabetes mellitus. Such pressure led to the fact that she underwent heart surgery,” Suleymanli said.

He links his father's challenge to the police with his Novruz trip to Yevlakh and meetings with relatives and friends there.

“I just went to see my parents, relatives and friends,” Suleymanli said. According to him, the police are inquiring about those with whom he met.

Suleymanli regarded these actions as pressure and violation of the law. We have not managed to receive comments in the Yevlakh police.

Recall that Suleymanli was the executive director of the Electoral Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, which oversaw the elections and gave independent assessments. In 2014, Suleymanli was sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment for economic crimes. Subsequently, he was released early.

Currently, he heads the Institute of Civil Rights. -06B--