Author Name: GlobalVoices.
(C) GlobalVoices.org
This unaltered story was originally published on GlobalVoices.org.[1]
Republishing Guidelines:
url:https://globalvoices.org/about/global-voices-attribution-policy/
--------------------



Azerbaijan rocked by a new wave of politically motivated arrests [1]
['Arzu Geybullayeva']
Date: 2022-06-08 00:00:00

Under the leadership of strongman President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has often been described as the country of “revolving doors.” The term describes the state's approach to its critics — whenever it releases some political prisoners from jail, it starts a new wave of arrests. As such, civil society and rights advocates and state critics have for years faced targeted harassment, intimidation, and arrests. The most recent wave of crackdowns attests to the standing tradition.

Following a presidential pardon decree on May 27 that ordered the release of over 150 prisoners, including a handful of political prisoners, a wave of new arrests and trials signals the return of the “revolving doors” tradition. Meanwhile, those who have narrowly escaped a prison sentence or time in administrative detention continue to complain of rampant acts of torture in police custody, something the relevant government institutions wholeheartedly dismiss.

In the past, family members of outspoken critics of the government have also been targeted. The latest victim of such politically motivated targeting is activist Rabiyya Mammadova whose mother was physically assaulted at work by another employee on June 3. Mammadova told Global Voices, “this is what doing politics in 2022 looks like in Azerbaijan. They are trying to get to me this way.”

Mammadova, is among dozens of targeted activists, whose names dominated the local news in recent weeks. Journalist Aytan Mammadova was threatened at knifepoint over critical reporting, while political activist Bakthiyar Hajiyev was kidnapped and beaten over his criticism of local authorities. Another high profile case is that of veteran opposition political activist Tofig Yagublu, who was detained during a rally in December 2021. Images of his injuries were subsequently shared on social media — yet, according to the results of an investigation launched by the authorities, the police had no involvement in the activist's injuries.

Local human rights watchdog groups like “The Defense Line,” confirm an uptick in attacks. Speaking to journalists on June 3, the group's director Rufat Safarov said cases of pressure and physical assaults increased in May. Safarov also spoke about the legal measures taken against Azerbaijani citizens who were recently repatriated from Germany. At least six people were arrested following their return to Azerbaijan on bogus drug possession charges according to media reports.

Police also detained former political prisoner and blogger Rashad Ramazanov on May 20. The following day, a court in Baku charged the blogger with illegal drug possession, with an intention to sell, sentencing the blogger to four months in pretrial detention. Ramazanov also reported he had been tortured, an allegation the authorities dismissed.

On May 28, police detained political activist and member of opposition Popular Front Razi Alishov on drug charges. According to the leader of the Popular Front party Ali Kerimli, Alishov's arrest was politically motivated, which the authorities have denied.

In a statement released by the opposition National Council, the group condemned the ongoing repression:

Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies often arrest opposition political activists on drug charges. Razi Alishov is yet another opposition activist charged under this article. With the arrest of Razi Alishov, Ilham Aliyev's government has once again acknowledged that it does not intend to change its method of governance and cannot do without repression and political arrests. Otherwise, no new political arrest would have been ordered immediately after the incomplete pardon order signed on May 27, which included several political prisoners. The ongoing political abuse was also criticized by the opposition N!DA movement in a statement issued on Facebook:

We, civic political activists, politicians, rights defenders, journalists and citizens, are deeply concerned about the attacks, and persecution leveled against political activists and journalists and their family members, in recent months over their political activities. The beating of member of Musavat part Tofig Yagublu in police detention, humiliation of kidnapped civic political activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, physical assault against the mother of Rabiyya Mammadova, and threatening of journalist Aytan Mammadova at knifepoint, show that the events were carried out by certain criminal groups for purely political reasons.

[END]

(C) GlobalVoices
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
[1] Url: https://globalvoices.org/2022/06/08/azerbaijan-rocked-by-a-new-wave-of-politically-motivated-arrests/

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/globalvoices/