20 August 2020, 08:48
HRW demands to release arrested opposition activists in Azerbaijan
After the unsanctioned rally in support of the Azerbaijani Army in Baku, authorities have arrested opposition activists and leaders on false criminal charges, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, has stated, demanding the release the detainees.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that at night on July 15, a non-sanctioned march took place in Baku in support of the Azerbaijani Army, which ended in activists' clashes with the police. The Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan reported that several of its activists were detained after the action.
"The latest wave of arrests in Azerbaijan follows a well-tried pattern of politically motivated arrests and prosecutions, and threatens to destroy one of the country's oldest opposition parties," Giorgi Gogiya, Deputy Director of the HRW for Europe and Central Asia, has stated, as quoted in the report.
Mr Gogiya has stated that "the authorities must immediately stop repressions, release the unjustly imprisoned activists and investigate the actions of law enforcement bodies."
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 19, 2020 at 20:11 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
