Baku police stops action in defence of Tofig Yagublu

On September 16, about ten female activists of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) came to the building of the City Hospital Clinic to rally in support of the oppositionist, Tofig Yagublu. The police detained three protesters and released them an hour later.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 2, oppositionist Tofig Yagublu declared a hunger strike. On the other day, the court sentenced him to four years and three months of imprisonment. On September 12, Tofig Yagublu was transferred to a private clinic amid the threat of a coma. On September 16, his doctor, Professor Adil Geibulla, stated that Tofig's health had reached a critical state on the 15th day of his hunger strike, and it had been decided to make his blood transfusion.

The women lined up in T-shirts with Yagublu's photos and the slogan "Freedom for Tofig Yagublu!" Policemen demanded from them to disperse, explaining that they violated the social distance. The women answered that they were keeping the distance and were wearing protective medical masks. After that, policemen began pushing them away from the building. The activists began chanting: "Freedom for Tofig Yagublu!", "Freedom for political prisoners!" Policemen detained three protesters – Sabina Mirzoeva, Matanat Turan and Tunzalya Amirova, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has reported.

The detainees were taken to the Narimanov District Police Department. An hour later, the women were released.

"We didn't break the law. We came to support Tofig Yagublu and demanded his release. He was arrested completely illegally. We'll continue our actions every day until Tofig Yagublu is released," Tunzalya Amirova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 16, 2020 at 08:55 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.