Azerbaijani pro-democracy activist arrested

Orkhan Zeynalli of the Democracy 1918 Movement has been arrested by plainclothes officers from his home in Baku.

The chair of the movement, Ahmad Mammadli, told OC Media that Zeynalli was summoned to the Baku City Police on Tuesday, but refused to go as he was not given an official notice.

‘[Thursday evening], people in civilian clothes took him from the house’, Mammadli said.

Mammadli claimed that Zeynalli was arrested for sharing a post on social media criticising the Azerbaijani police.

‘The criticism was related to his bicycle, which was stolen a month ago. Although he complained to the police about it, the complaint was not considered for various reasons’, Mammadli said.

The Democracy 1918 chair also accused the police of coercing Zeynalli’s wife into deleting all of his Facebook posts.

The Interior Ministry has confirmed Zeynalli’s detention.

‘An investigation is currently underway and detailed information will be provided’, chief spokesperson Elshad Hajiyev told Turan. 

Mammadli was himself similarly detained by plainclothes police officers on 20 September, shortly after the end of the two-day war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He was sentenced to 30 days in prison for disobeying police.

[Read more on OC Media: Voices of dissent: Azerbaijan reacts to war]

Mammadli maintains that he was arrested for writing a series of pro-peace Facebook posts critical of President Ilham Aliyev.