02:13, 14 August 2020

Arrest of three Kullar protesters extended

Residents of the temporary tent camp on the border with Azerbaijan. Photo by the press service of the Magaramkentsky District administration

A court in Dagestan has left the residents of Azerbaijan, Nakhid Agaev, Aziz Ferekzad and Emin Imamaliev, accused of using violence against law enforcers during protests in the tent camp in Kullar, in custody for another month. They refuse to plead guilty.

The protest action on June 15 in Kullar, where Azerbaijani citizens are waiting for departure to their homeland, escalated into clashes with law enforcers. Four law enforcers and 10 Azerbaijani citizens were injured; 83 protesters were arrested for 10 days.

The accused Nakhid Agaev has stated that he was forced to sign a confession. He asked to release him, as he "did not throw stones."

Aziz Ferekzad, 26, said he wanted to return to Azerbaijan to his wife and child. According to his story, he has sick parents and is the only breadwinner in the family.

Also in court, the 21-year-old Emin Imamaliev said that at home he had a sick father and he was financially supporting him.

Let us remind you that residents of the temporary accommodation centre (TAC) set up near the Dagestani village of Kullar in the form of a tent camp are sent home in groups every week. By August 10, the number of residents increased to 700. The Azerbaijani authorities have no right to delay the return of their citizens from Russia and force them to live in a tent camp; this is the basis for a claim to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), human rights defenders assert.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 13, 2020 at 11:51 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Rasul Magomedov

Source: CK correspondent