The arrest of political activists in Azerbaijan

Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi.

Student Committee for the defense of political prisoners

News reports from East Azerbaijan indicate that agents from the bureau of intelligence of that province arrested three residents from the village of Vargahan.

The three are Ali-Khan Ahmadi, Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and Mohammad Salehpour who are supporters of the National Movement of Azerbaijan. The 3 were originally called to appear at the Islamic village assembly on Sunday, May 7th first and then they were transferred to the bureau of intelligence and security in Tabriz. There is still no information available on the status of these detainees.

Meanwhile, the arrest and detention of political and cultural activists in Azerbaijan has skyrocketed in recent months and a large number of those arrested have been sent to prison. READ MORE

Before this, at midnight Thursday, April 6th, Mostafa Avazpourz along with his two brothers Morteza (a high school student) and Mohammad-Reza (14-year-old junior high school student) were arrested in their home and transferred to the same bureau of intelligence in Tabriz. Morteza was exonerated on Sunday, April 20th by the revolutionary court and released; Mohammd-Reza was also released after 13 days of interrogations, however Mustafa despite the passage of one-month time remains in detention and is still under investigation.

The security and disciplinary agents of the regime in arresting activists, are known to regularly falsify charges against the detainees claiming that they are either smugglers, murderers or are somehow in violation of social regulations.

Among other detainees: 25 days has passed from the arrest of an engineer, Saleh Mullah-Abbasi and his family have no information on his whereabouts or charges. Mullah-Abbasi was arrested on April 17th in the town of Ahar and was transferred two days later to the Tabriz bureau of intelligence.

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