Opposition figure Gulu Mammadli stated that the arrest of Ali Karimli, leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was expected, but the reasons go beyond simple criticism of the authorities. According to Mammadli, Karimli's publications in major Western media have increased his political significance and visibility abroad, which has caused concern among the Azerbaijani authorities.
The State Security Service of Abkhazia detained a Georgian citizen Vladimir Shulaia, who was put on the federal wanted list by Russia, on the territory of the republic. After his detention, he was handed over to Russian authorities.
Shulaya is accused of murdering a Russian citizen in 2002. He received bodily injuries during his detention. The man is the founder of the companies Tbilisi Oasis and Riverdale Pro.
Lawyer Shota Tutberidze, who is familiar with the detainee, expressed concerns that Shulaia could be forced to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry and sent to the combat zone in Ukraine. The lawyer noted that such cases, when people are detained on fabricated charges and forcibly sent to the front, are not uncommon in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.