Son of PFPA activist arrested in Azerbaijan

Imameddin Geidarov, a son of Kyamal Geidarov, the head of the Hajiqabul district organization of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was sentenced to 30 days of arrest. The PFPA believes that the young man is persecuted for his civil activism and criticism of the authorities in social networks.

Ilham Gusein, a member of the PFPA's Presidium of the Supreme Majlis, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that Imameddin Geidarov was detained on August 24.

"Judging by the fact that the posts criticizing the authorities were removed from his Facebook page after his detention, the real reason for his arrest is in this," Mr Gusein has noted, emphasizing that the young man's father is the head of the PFPA's Hajiqabul district organization; and this factor could also affect the Imameddin's arrest.

"The ruling regime, while losing people's support, intensifies the onslaught on political activists, thinking that repressions will save it, but unjust arrests only increase people's anger," Gezyal Bairamly, a deputy chairman of the PFPA, has stated.

In Azerbaijan, administrative arrests are used to harass activists, says the report of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives: as compared to 2011, in 2018, the number of arrests went up by more than 2.5 times – from 3299 up to 8449 cases.