Two more NiDa activists arrested in Azerbaijan
Young activists Amid Suleymanov and press photographer ElnurMukhtarovfaced administrative detention for 10 days, NiDa movement said in a statement according to Meydan TV.
According to the information, the young people were arrested on unknown charges, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not commented on their detention yet.
It is noted that the NiDa youth movement activist Amid Suleymanovwas detained in the morning of May 25. The young man was detained in his apartment and taken to No 5 police department.
The young man’s father said that 5-6 people in civilian clothing carried out a search in their apartment and seized Suleymanov’sinternational passport.The Ministry of Internal Affairscould not be reached for a comment.
It is noted that Suleymanovis also a journalist, and worked for the Mediaforum.az before.
Two young activists of NiDA opposition movement, BayramMammadov and GiyasIbrahimov, have been arrested in Azerbaijan on drug charges. NiDA said in a statement that the real reason of detaining the young men is that they had painted on the pedestal of Heydar Aliyev’s monument in the center of Baku at night of May 10.
According to the Azerbaijani media, at night of Heydar Aliyev’s (current Azerbaijani president's father) birthday, unknown authors painted on the pedestal of the monument, towards which marches traditionally begin to bow to the “nationwide leader” and “savior of the nation” since morning.
The inscription was a pun on the phrase “Congratulations on flower festival,” in the first word of which, two letters were changed giving the word and the phrase a different meaning quite popular among the Azerbaijani dissidents and opposition - “Congratulations on the slavery festival!”
The flower festival has been annually celebrated in Azerbaijan on May 10 since 2004. It is dedicated to Heydar Aliyev’s birthday. Huge sums of money are spent on the festival. In particular, Baku City Hall published the figure 15 million dollars in 2007, and in 2013, on Heydar Aliyev’s 90th anniversary, this sum exceeded 76 million dollars.
Related news
- CoE Commissioner: Azerbaijani activists, who painted on Heydar Aliyev’s monument, detained on charges lacking credibility
- Azerbaijani civil activists promised to be released if they apologize in front of Heydar Aliyev’s monument
- Ilham Aliyev takes revenge for his father, activists arrested on drug charges for congratulating Heydar Aliyev on “Slavery day”
- “Congratulations on slavery festival!” Heydar Aliyev receives anonymous congratulation on his birthday in Azerbaijan