Head of AXCP’s Dashkasan Branch Sentenced to 30 Days in Administrative Detention

The head of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP) Dashkasan district branch, Ruzi Baghirov, was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention on June 13. The charges are based on alleged resistance to police under the Administrative Offences Code.

The news was announced by AXCP leader Ali Karimli via Facebook. Karimli drew attention to what he describes as the expanding scale of repression in Azerbaijan, recalling that Baghirov’s predecessor, Sahib Mammadzade, was sentenced to three years in prison last year on what the party considers fabricated drug charges.

“In a country where the number of political prisoners has exceeded 375, the only way to stop repression is through public condemnation of every unlawful arrest of opposition figures. Our people must consistently show that they reject political arrests and demand freedom for all political prisoners,” Karimli wrote.

In recent months, around 10 AXCP members have been subjected to administrative detention, while at least 15 members face criminal charges. The party maintains that all charges are politically motivated and tied to members’ civic and political activities.