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Azerbaijani authorities should immediately release from pretrial detention two senior political opposition leaders Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu charged with organizing mass riots in Ismailli, Human Rights Watch said today.

“The authorities should either produce credible evidence that the charges against the two men are justified, or drop them,” the article reads.

Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch noted that in the past year, Azerbaijan’s government has launched an unprecedented crackdown on critics. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu are among the victims of this policy, she believes.

According to HRW, dozens of political activists have been arrested and imprisoned on bogus charges in recent months as part of the crackdown, which intensified leading up to the presidential election. In a September 2013 report, Human Rights Watch concluded that the crackdown amounted to a concerted effort to curtail opposition political activity.

The statement notes that Mammadov’s and Yagublu’s arrest was condemned by a number of international organizations, including the Council of Europe and Amnesty International.

HRW believes that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Azerbaijan has ratified, states that, “It shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody.” Since no evidence has been put forward against Mammadov and Yagublu, both should be freed from detention pending the outcome of the trial, Human Rights Watch said.

Leader of REAL Ilgar Mammadov was arrested because of organizing riots in Ismayilli on January 23-24 regardless the fact that he arrived to Ismailli region after the beginning of the riots. Human Righs Watch and Amnesty International have declared Mammadov and Yagublu prisoners of conscience.

Unrests in Ismailli district began at the evening of January 23, after an accident in which the nephew of the head of Nizami Alekperov and son of the Minister of Labor Fizuli Alekperov - Vugar Alekperov - were involved. His car crashed into another car, Alekperov then began to insult the local residents. According to one of Ismayilli residents, relative of the minister took a pack of money out of his pocket and said: "You have no dignity (geyret), I can buy your mothers and sisters for this money."

Information about the insults spread through the district and angry residents began to smash the commercial entities of Alekperov’s family up. Internal troops and Special Forces were involved in the incident. They fired rubber bullets and tear gas. As a result of clashes many people were arrested and dozens injured.

Ismayilli region is located in the north of Azerbaijan and is bordered by Guba region, where in March 2012 the population rioted against lawlessness of Azerbaijani officials. Ismayilli region just like Guba, is also included in the historical area of indigenous nations of Azerbaijan.