Several oppositionists disappear after dispersal

Five members of Azerbaijan's opposition parties have been missing since the dispersal of the public meeting on 26 November, an Azadlyg bloc press release says. According to the document, the nation's law enforcement agencies know nothing about the destiny of these people. Opposition parties are concerned that their supporters may have been deliberately abducted by a law enforcement or security agency with a view to torture and recruitment as secret agents. Experience of previous years shows that those abducted are tortured with a view to making them collaborate with law enforcement agencies or beat out compromising materials against opposition leaders, the press release emphasises.

It should be noted that twelve people have been detained by way of an administrative measure, according to the Baku police's information. They are kept in custody at a detention isolator.

In turn, human rights defenders have addressed Azerbaijan's Internal Affairs Minister Ramil Usubov with a request for information concerning the whereabouts of the detained opposition activists, Ms Novella Jafarooglu told Caucasian Knot. According to her, the ground to address the minister has been numerous requests of the parents of the detained people who have no information concerning their children's whereabouts.

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