12 April 2019, 13:45
Police disrupt march in defence of political prisoners in Baku
In Baku, the police have disrupted a march in defence of Bairam Mamedov, an activist of the "Nida" movement, and other political prisoners. Three of the marchers were temporarily detained.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Bairam Mamedov was detained by law enforcers in Baku on March 30. On the same day, Mamedov was arrested for 30 days, after he was found guilty of disobeying policemen. On April 2, the court of appeal upheld his arrest. Meanwhile, the court ordered the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the activist's complaints about torture.
In October 2016, Bairam Mamedov, along with like-minded Giyas Ibragimov, was sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of drug dealing. Activists then treated the verdict to Mamedov and Ibragimov as revenge for the graffiti on the pedestal of the monument to Geidar Aliev in the form of inscriptions: "Qul bayramınız mübarək!" (Congratulations on slaves' holiday!) and "F ... k the system!" On March 16, 2019, by an order of the President of Azerbaijan, both activists were pardoned.
On April 11, about 15 young people tried to hold a march near the "Gara Garaev" metro station in the "8th Kilometre" residential area of Baku.
The march had not been announced in advance in media and social networks.
"We decided not to announce the action beforehand, so that it would not be disrupted well before the start. Through all the night, we were making posters with slogans that were raised during the action:" Damn your reforms!"," Ilham Aliev, free political prisoners!", "Freedom to Bairam Mamedov!" and others," Fatima Movlamly, an activist, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
According to her story, a few minutes after the start of the march, people in civilian clothes took away all their posters.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 12, 2019 at 03:36 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
