Prominent politician detained in Azerbaijan for criticizing authorities
Chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Party (APDB) Gubad Ibadoglu was detained on July 23. He was attracted under Art. 204.1 (manufacturing for the purpose of sale, as well as the acquisition or sale of counterfeit money or foreign currency) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Earlier, he came up with an initiative to confiscate the property of Azerbaijani officials abroad.
His wife Irada Bayramova was also detained. She told reporters that police officers put physical pressure on them. She believes that Ibadoglu was detained on the instructions of the President of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani opposition politicians condemned the persecution of Gubad Ibadoglu by the authorities. Rufat Safarov, director of the human rights organization Line of Defense, said the following: “Gubad Ibadoglu is a prominent scientist and economist who has been criticizing the government's socio-economic policy for many years. At the same time, he is the leader of one of the main opposition parties.”
Ali Karimli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, also believes that Ibadoglu's arrest is an "act of political repression."
