Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
The Baku Court of Appeal rejected the defense's request to transfer economist-scientist and opposition politician Gubad Ibadoglu from pre-trial detention center to house arrest. Six months have passed since his arrest, no investigative actions are being taken, the lawyers noted. In the pre-trial detention center, Ibadoglu’s health condition is deteriorating.
On July 24 last year, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Welfare Party, Gubad Ibadoglu, was arrested on charges of selling counterfeit money, as well as under the article of distributing extremist materials. The accused rejects the investigators' arguments.
The arrest of Gubad Ibadoglu caused a wide resonance in the world. Human rights activists believe that the scientist is being persecuted for political reasons. Politicians from the United States and European countries came out in support of it.