Political emigrants from Azerbaijan demand to protect rights of activists extradited from Germany

In front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and offices of human rights organizations located in Berlin, the Azerbaijani political emigrants living in Germany have held protest actions, demanding to release the activists who had been expelled from Germany and arrested in Baku.

The action was organized by the Association of Azerbaijani Political Emigrants DAS (that means "Choose Democratic Azerbaijan").

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 29, a total of 38 persons, who had failed to legalize their stay in Germany were sent back to Azerbaijan; Samir Ashurov was among them. On April 19, he was detained in Baku on charges of assault a man with a knife.

"In June-November 2021, German authorities actually deported the activists, Mutallim Orudjev, Malik Rzaev, Djafar Mirzoev and Pyunkhan Kerimli, to Azrbaijan. They were later arrested and tortured on charges of drug dealing," one of the protesters told in front of the German MFA.

He has noted that the above activists had taken part in protests against human rights violations in Azerbaijan, but German authorities, despite the threat of persecuting them at home, still refused to provide them with asylum.

Gadji Kalpalizade, a DAS member, stated that those deported by readmission were arrested in violation of the international law, according to which a person cannot be extradited to the country where he may face unfair trial and torture.

Tezekhan Miralamli, an activist of the NGO "Defence Line", also believes that activists expelled from Europe are being persecuted in Azerbaijan for political reasons.