Activist Samir Ashurov arrested for four months

A court in Baku has jailed Samir Ashurov, an activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), for four months. He denied the accusation of attacking a man with a knife and claimed that he had been beaten up by law enforcers.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ashurov was among the 38 Azerbaijani citizens who were returned from Germany as part of readmission agreement, as they lived there without permits. He feared persecution in Azerbaijan for his political activities. On April 19, Ashurov was detained on suspicion of assaulting a person. The activist treated the case as falsified and went on a protest hunger strike.

The court failed to prove that Ashurov stabbed the victim, Zibeida Sadygova, his advocate, asserts.

Ashurov's wife worries about his health condition. "Samir had undergone a heart surgery. The hunger strike could harm his health. His beating by law enforcers is flagrant arbitrariness," Ms Ashurova has stated.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, has doubted the credibility of accusations against Ashurov.

"Charges of inflicting damage to victim's health are often used against activists and critics of the authorities. Some time ago, the oppositional politicians, Tofig Yagublu, Seimur Khazi and Neimat Panakhly, were convicted under such articles," Mr Gasanov has explained.