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PFPA statement against repression in Azerbaijan – broad information on arrested and detained

pfpaPopular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) statement condemns the arrests and pressures on the party members and and its statement further reads:

“Azerbaijan authorities did not suffice with the falsifications and stealing of the peoples’ votes for the presidential elections, but also put big pressures on the activists during the elections. The continuing repression against the oppositional activists during the elections that had been a case for years  found its real expression in the OSCE ODIHR and US State Department reports and statements on election results.

During the election campaign, both pre-election and aftermath period tens of opposition activists faced violence and received administrative arrests from 10 days to one month.
PFPA would like to stress the special attitude and repression by the authorities against its members and activists.
So, during the election campaign Rahib Hajiyev, a young PFPA activist was detained with the trumped up drug charges and imprisoned for two months, after completion of this period it was prolonged for another month. The real reason behind his arrest is his activism in social networks and criticism in the address of the authorities, especially in Facebook.


Agents with the National Security Agency, or MNB, arrested Parviz Hashimli, member of the PFPA’s Supreme Council, human rights defender, editor of the independent news website Moderator and a reporter for the independent newspaper Bizim Yol. Agents raided Hashimli’s home in Baku, where they claimed to have found a pistol and several hand grenades. Now he is kept at MNB detention center. He is made speak against the leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Ali Karimli.
Turkel Alisoy and Orkhan Salimzadeh, PFPA members received injuries incurred by the ruling party gangs and police officers, while Jamil Hassanly, a National Council candidate of the Democratic Forces met with the voters in Sabirabad city. Turkel Alisoy got his two teeth broken and Orkhan Salimzadeh his finger dislocated.

Rahib Hajiyev
Rahib Hajiyev

Tehran Musayev, party’s Supreme Council chairman in Gabala district ordered detained while he was putting Jamil Hassanly’s posters on the walls and received 25 days of administrative arrest.

Turkel Karimli, a son of the leader of opposition PFPA was sentenced to 25 days in jail right after September 22 in Baku during a rally to support the united opposition’s presidential candidate, Camil Hasanli. A court in Baku on September 23 convicted Turkel Kerimli of intentionally destroying posters with the portraits of presidential candidates. His two associates (one of them Joshgun Salahov is also a PFPA member) were also arrested and sentenced to 25-30 days in jail.
During the Election Day on October 9 Fizuli Gahramanly, PFPA’s Beylagan district branch chairman was beaten, got his nose broken and put out of the precinct voting station, where was an observer.

Aftermath the election, on October 12, after the protest rally organized by the National Council, PFPA members Turkel Alisoy and Server Abdullah were beaten and detained in the ruling party ignited provocation act. They were fined on the same day by the court and set free, however arrested again in two days, taken to court on 14 October and sentenced T.Alisoy to 15, and S. Abdullah to 10 days in jail.

On October 17, two more young PFPA activists Zaur Mammadov and Igbal Damirly detained on fabricated charges and each received 15 days of administrative arrest.
PFPA is sure that the repression against the party is for its role in the presidential elections having taken place on October 9.  The National Council of the Azerbaijani opposition could have organized a successful electoral campaign and make the incumbent lose the elections, but having remained in power just by stealing the votes.  PFPA was one of the major donors to the process.

Parviz Hashimli
Parviz Hashimli

Besides, it is worthy and relevant to remind the Aliyev regime’s hate to PFPA that goes to 20 years back.
PFPA demands the authorities to stop repression against the party members. It reiterates once more that these employed methods won’t make PFPA avoid the democracy fight and also won’t weaken it. The party has proved its strength and motivation having gone through the different heavy tests, hardship and deprivation and at the end becoming even stronger and harder. Aftermath the elections mass of people appealed for party membership and this fact proves that aspirations of authorities to break the party were in vain.

PFPA calls upon the authorities not to employ “NKVD” methods, which is so old-fashioned and needs to remain in history’s archives. PFPA declares that it again will be in front lines of the democracy fight and is ready to take all the hardships and stand further against the asperities and incur bereavements for the sake of democracy.

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