Tural Sadygly's Father Released from Police (UPDATED)

Detained the previous evening, the father of the activist Tural Sadygly living in Germany, Alovsat Sadygly, was released from the police today.

As Sadygly told Turan, in the evening he was taken to the 12th station of the Sabunchu district police. "My son Tural Sadygly and his critical writings in social networks became the cause of the detention. In the 12th police station, and later in the Sabunchu district police department, I was accused of being involved in anti-state activities.

I answered that my son can criticize the government or the ruling system, but he will never oppose the state. This state was created by us, and we cannot oppose what we ourselves built," Sadygly said.

He also noted that their neighbor, who was detained the day before, was also released. --03B06--

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2018 February 18 (Sunday) 23:41:18

Tural Sadygly's Father Detained, His Brother Elghiz Sadygly Sentenced to Two Years' Imprisonment Conditionally

Baku / 18.02.18 / Turan: The father of the expatriate activist Tural Sadygly, 65-year-old Alovsat Sadygly living in the village of Ramana, has been detained, as well as his neighbor suffering from cancer.

Turan was informed about this by Tural Sadygly himself, who is known for his sharp criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities and participation in protest actions against official Baku in Europe.

"It's not known where my father and neighbor were taken. Police cars are still standing around our house," Tural Sadygly said.

It should be recalled that Tural Sadygly's father and his brother Elghiz were also detained in 2015. Tural Sadygly believes that his family is under pressure because of his political activities.

"On January 21, 2015, during a meeting between Ilham Aliyev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, we held a protest in Berlin. A few weeks later, the police detained my father and my brother Elghiz. My brother was sentenced to a year's imprisonment on drug-related charges. However, subsequently the appellate court replaced the real term by conditional punishment. But then there was a periodic pressure on our family. Now a new wave of repression has begun for family members of activists who are in exile. This wave has also covered members of our family," Tural Sadygly said.

Calls to his father's mobile phone reach the address, but then someone immediately disconnects the line.

Prior to the detention, Alovsat Sadygly told the media that the police surrounded their house and the investigator who came to their place stated that he had come for Elghiz Sadygly to take him to the police allegedly to file documents on the completion of serving the suspended sentence.

Officials have not commented on Tural Sadygly's statements yet. -03D06-