Azerbaijani activist claims unjustified summon to police

Elchin Gasanzade (Gasanov), a journalist, a deputy chairman of the NGO "Legal Enlightenment of Sumgait Youth" and a member of the Supreme Majlis of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) fears that he will be arrested like other party members. They did not explain the reason for his summoning to police, he said.

Elchin said that on April 22, a policeman called him and informed him of the need to come to the police station.

"My arrest is quite possible, given the fact that Elchin Mamed, the editor of our website, has been criminally prosecuted. I am also a PFPA member; and in recent days, 10 party members have been arrested," Mr Gasanzade has noted.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, believes that any summon to the police should have good reason.

"Elchin had been earlier prosecuted for his human rights and journalistic work," he has added.

Let us remind you that on June 1, 2016, Elchin Gasanzade (Gasanov) was sentenced to a year of correctional labour. According to investigators, Gasanov had beaten up Djafar Djafarov, the director of the "Asia" News Agency. Then, his defence had insisted that Gasanov himself was attacked, but did not beat Djafarov.