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Authorities in Azerbaijan have been using every trick to stop members of the opposition, social activists and journalists from criticizing them, Amnesty International statement reads.

It reads also that an explosion occurred at Azerbaijan's Popular Front Party. Natig Adilov, spokesperson for the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party believes the explosion at the headquarters in Baku on Monday was no coincidence. As he says, from its inception, the party has always come under attack.

The building’s owner, who lives in Turkey, also reported receiving threats against his family and property from an official. He secretly recorded the conversation, gave it to the media the day after the explosion and shared it online. The owner stated that despite owning the property for years, threats only began when he first rented the property to another opposition party in 2012, but these became far more serious after the APFP moved in on 12 October 2013.

“The explosion in the APFP headquarters is the latest in a string of incidents hampering its work,” the Amnesty International writes.

According to Natig Adilov, the party members are harassed daily. Some have lost their jobs, some have lost their businesses and others have been arrested.

“Our regional offices are forced to operate from the homes of our members and even then they are not left alone,” Natig explained.

According to AL in the last two weeks alone, six party activists have been arrested on charges of “resisting police orders”. Amongst them is 18 year old Tofig Dadashov. He was arrested on 22 February when plainclothes police officers raided his home and seized his computer. He was then taken to the Binagadi Police Department, where he says he was kept without food or water for two days. On 24 February, he was jailed. His family believes he was arrested for calling for a demonstration against the Mayor of Baku on his Facebook page.