Sanan Dashdamirli – a political prisoner in Azerbaijan
Sanan Dashdamirli is a political hostage in Azerbaijan. He is a son of Rafiq Dashdamirli, manager of Organising department of Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). Sanan Dashdamirli was arrested on 17 November last year on the charges of drug possession and trafficking. All believe that he was arrested for his father’s political activism. Therefore, many incline to think that he was taken a hostage by the authorities to put pressure on his father.
Rafig Dashdamirli, Sanan’s father says that he was repeatedly warned to cease his activities and not to help with the organization of the protest rallies organised by the National Council of the Democratic Forces of the Azerbaijani opposition. Note: The National Council was established ahead of 2013 presidential elections in Azerbaijan and until now effectively operates.
Rafig Dashdamirli did mostly all the work for the technical and organizational parts of the October and November protest rallies.
His son was arrested in the evening in the courtyard, and is accused of drug possession. Rafig Dashdamirli says that his son is a graduate from the University of Economics with honors. The charges against him are false. Sanan has never been in politics. Sanan’s father says that the arrest of his son was a heavy blow to the family, but we will not give up. The family is well aware of the reason for his arrest.
Now Sanan Dashdamirli’s health, has worsened.
According to Rafig Dashdamirli, he wrote an appeal to human rights organisations, the head of the Committee against Torture Elchin Behbudov, and Ombudswoman Elmira Suleymanova asking to explore issues on his son’s health. His son suffers from high blood pressure, increased heart pain, rheumatic pains in the legs. His situation is critical, says the father. The lawyer Azer Nagiyev says that Sanan also suffers from some rash, the cause of which is not clear.
The lawyer says that drug testing has determined that Sanan Dashdamirli does not use drugs, and does not suffer from addiction.