Protests against Mehman Aliyev's Arrest Express General Discontent in Society

Baku / 14.09.17 / Turan: "The release of Mehman Aliyev and a look at the problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan" was the theme of the public hearings that took place at the headquarters of the Musavat party at September 14. The event was organized by the Political Prisoners Protection Center and the Public Committee "For the Release of Mehman Aliyev".

A member of both structures, Avaz Zeynalli, opening the meeting, noted the role of public defense in achieving the release of Mehman Aliyev from custody. İn connection with the achievement of the goal - the release of Mehman Aliyev, the public committee announced its self-dissolution. At the same time, the working group set up under the public committee will continue to work on the affairs of other political prisoners.

Speaking at the hearings, Mehman Aliyev himself noted that his arrest was connected with his professional journalistic activity and the management of the independent news agency Turan.

"However, the international reaction, the internal dissatisfaction, the public protests, and the ambiguous perception of the arrest inside the authorities did not allow making the imprisonment lengthy," Mehman Aliyev said.

According to the journalist, the dissatisfaction and protests were connected not only with his arrest, but also expressed the general mood of the society.

In Mehman Aliyev's opinion, the people are already waiting for reforms from the authorities and now the process should not stop - we must achieve transformations and changes in the society.

The chairman of the Musavat party, Arif Hajili, called Mehman Aliyev's release "a serious positive event" and noted the role of the public committee in this.

At the same time, he noted the need to continue the struggle to end the criminal case against Mehman Aliyev and the news agency Turan.

The former Interior Minister Iskender Hamidov explained the soon release of Mehman Aliyev after persistent appeals from abroad with a message of the West to the Azerbaijani people that "this power has bothered the West". Hamidov believes that now we have to fight for democratic elections.

The head of the Center for National Strategic Thought Isa Gambar believes the public committee should continue to work until the criminal case against Mehman Aliyev and the news agency Turan is completely stopped.

In his opinion, to completely solve the problem of political prisoners, it is necessary to change power peacefully and therefore the democratic forces should achieve free elections.

Mehman Aliyev himself also noted that if the public jointly and resolutely continues to struggle for reforms, as for his liberation, then it will be possible to achieve positive changes in the country.

* Mehman Aliyev was detained on August 24. The next day he was charged under art. 213.1 (tax evasion), 308.1 (misuse of official powers) and 192.2.2 (illegal business with the extraction of large income) of the Criminal Code. The court selected a measure of restraint against him in the form of arrest until November 7. Aliyev rejected all the charges and called them politically motivated.

International organizations condemned Aliyev's arrest and called for his immediate release. On September 11, the court changed the measure of restraint for a written commitment not to leave the place. -05C06--