Azerbaijan arrests two Islamic activists
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 12 August 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan arrests two Islamic activists, 12 August 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e5cdba628.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 12, 2011
Relatives of arrested Islamic Party activists protested in front of the president's offices in Baku in June. The crackdown on the party has since intensified.
Reports say police in Azerbaijan have arrested two prominent Islamic activists.
The arrests come a week after the leader of the Islamic Party and six other activists went on trial for allegedly trying to overthrow Azerbaijan's secular government.
The deputy chairman of the banned Azerbaijani Islamic Party, Arif Ganiev, and the editor of the Islamic news website islam-azeri.az, Ramin Bayramov, were detained on August 11.
The charges against the politician have not yet been made public, but the website editor's lawyer said that the police claimed to have found drugs, a pistol, and a hand grenade when they searched his home.
Energy-rich Azerbaijan is a mainly Shi'ite Muslim country, but after decades of Soviet rule it emerged as a mostly secular state.
compiled from RFE/RL and agency reports
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
