Human rights defenders demand to stop persecution of Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu

Representatives of the Council of Europe (CE) should demand from the Azerbaijan’s authorities to stop persecuting oppositionists and journalists, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety has stated, calling for the release of activist and blogger Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on May 10, blogger Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu, a member of the Azerbaijan Nationalist Democratic Party (ANDP), was arrested in Shirvan, being accused of failure to obey the police. Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu pleaded not guilty. His colleagues from the ANDP suggest that the persecution of the blogger is connected with his criticism of the local authorities.

The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) demanded the release of Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu, calling the blogger’s accusation of failure to obey the police fabricated, the “Turan” agency reports today.

The IRFS also announced that Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu was tortured after his detention.

The arrest of Eyvaz Yakhyaoglu was carried out “according to the classical methodology of political persecution of a critic undesirable for the authorities,” said Emin Guseinov, the executive director of the IRFS.

The human rights defenders called on Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatović, and representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) “to condemn the authorities for a new wave of repressions and demand from them the release of all journalists and an end to impunity for crimes against public critics.”

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 13, 2022 at 02:02 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.