Azerbaijan refused to release one of the leading opposition figures
A court in Baku denied the defense of Tofig Yagublu, a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) and the Musavat party, to replace the preventive measure in the form of detention with house arrest. He has been in pre-trial detention for more than three and a half months, and during all this time no investigation has been carried out.
Tofig Yagublu was detained on December 14 last year on charges of fraud and forgery of documents. The politician has previously been repeatedly subjected to criminal and administrative prosecution. International organizations recognized him as a prisoner of conscience. In the pre-trial detention center, Tofig Yagublu repeatedly went on hunger strike.
Earlier, the leading opposition party Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFPA) reported that the Azerbaijani authorities are not releasing political prisoners, but are increasing their number with new arrests. Their number exceeded 200 people.
Political arrests and sentences have become the main tool of the administration of current President Ilham Aliyev, the statement said. PFPA called on the Azerbaijani public to more decisively protect political prisoners. Previously, these phenomena were repeatedly condemned by international human rights organizations, as well as by the governments of Europe and the United States.
