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 Prosecutor General's Office has approved the indictment in the case of pension fraud in Ingushetia in the amount of more than 519 million rubles. The defendants are the former heads of the Federal Postal Service - Magomed-Bashir Kalimatov (brother of the current head of Ingushetia Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov) and Kambulat Sukiev, as well as 27 of their accomplices.
The defendants are charged with creating a criminal community and fraud. The investigation believes that Kalimatov, Sukiev and the head of the republican branch of the Pension Fund Islam Seinaroev organized the theft of budget funds, using forged documents to recalculate pensions.
The case has been transferred to the Fifth Cassation Court to determine jurisdiction. Kalimatov faces up to ten years in prison under the fraud article, and up to 20 years under the criminal association article.