17:09, 5 May 2021

Azerbaijani activist Bairam Mamedov found dead in Istanbul

Bairam Mamedov. Screenshot of the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0wXQ4phcic&t=4s

Turkish police have found in the sea the body of Bairam Mamedov, who had been persecuted in Azerbaijan for graffiti on the monument to Geidar Aliev, his friends have informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2016, Bairam Mamedov and Giyas Ibragimov were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment each on charges of drug dealing. They treated their criminal prosecution as revenge for the graffiti they had drawn on the monument to Azerbaijani President Geidar Aliev. In March 2019, both of them were pardoned.

In January 2020, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), having considered the complaints lodged by Mamedov and Ibragimov about torture and violation of the freedom of speech, awarded each of them 36,000 euros of compensation.

Bairam Mamedov disappeared on May 2 in Istanbul. The police found his body at sea. The cause of the death has not yet been established – the versions of suicide, accident and attempted murder are being considered, the "Meydan TV" reports.

Mamedov moved to Turkey seven or eight months ago to prepare for entering the university, said Ulvi Gasanli, a board member of the "Nida" movement. He has noted that well before leaving, Mamedov stopped engaging in social activities, including in social networks.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 5, 2021 at 12:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent