The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Artur Sargsyan, Armenia's acting chargé d'affaires, to deliver an official statement protesting the "unfriendly steps" of the Armenian side. The basis for this action was statements by Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, who asserted that his country "should not become a province and be governed like Belarus."
As part of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a meeting was held dedicated to political prisoners of Azerbaijan. The hearings were organized by the Azerbaijan Institute for Freedom and Safety of Reporters in cooperation with a number of assembly members.
“Currently in the country, representatives of a wide range of social groups are under arrest because of their political views. More than 200 political prisoners. These statistics are growing,” said the son of opposition politician Gubad Ibadoglu, Ibad Bayramov. He pointed out the rapid deterioration of his father’s health in the pre-trial detention center and the failure to provide him with effective medical care.
The famous economist Gubad Ibadoglu was arrested on charges of making counterfeit money. Subsequently, he was also charged with producing, storing or distributing religious extremist materials. He denies the accusations, considering them absurd. Many international organizations and officials called on official Baku to release the politician.