Blogger Rashad Ramazanov arrested in Baku

A court in Baku has ruled to arrest Rashad Ramazanov, a blogger, for four months after charging him with large-scale drug dealing. Kenul Ramazanova, Rashad's wife, and Rufat Safarov, a rights defender, believe that the blogger's arrest has to do with his criticism of Azeri authorities.

Rashad Ramazanov was detained on May 20, and on May 21, his wife Kenul reported her husband's arrest. "Today (May 21), the Sabunchi District Court of Baku has ruled to arrest Rashad for four months. He was charged under Article 234.4.3 (large-scale drug dealing)," Ms Ramazanova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I'm sure that a criminal case has been fabricated against my husband again. He is a believer and has nothing to do with drugs. He is being persecuted because of his criticism of authorities in social networks," Kenul Ramazanova has stated.

Rufat Safarov, the head of the NGO "Defence Line", has also doubted the charges against the blogger.

"In 2013-2019, Rashad Ramazanov already experienced the fate of a political prisoner. Then, he was imprisoned on trumped-up charges because of his criticism of Azerbaijani leadership. After his release, he lived in Georgia for some time and continued criticizing Azeri authorities and the ruling elite in social networks. Recently, he returned to Azerbaijan and was arrested again here," Mr Safarov said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 22, 2022 at 00:57 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.