EMDS issued a statement condemning the persecutions lorry drivers faced for a peaceful protest. On 17 February, 4 lorry drivers blocked the Heydar Aliyev avenue to protest the officials of the State Road Transport Service in Baku which resulted in retaliations afterwards.
Two of the drivers – Fakhraddin Malikov and Miralam Mammadov were sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest on the account of hooliganism and resisting the police while the other driver Ramish Jafarov was accused with the 233rd article of the Criminal Code (organization of actions promoting infringement of a social order or active participation in such actions) by Narimanov District Police Department and was sentenced to two months of pre-trial detention
EMDS notes that the detention, insults, physical violence and degrading behaviour drivers and their family members were exposed to in the aftermath of the 17 February protest is the rough violation of the right to liberty and security and right to privacy of the plaintiffs. Additionally, the punishment of drivers for organizing peaceful protest curbs their freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression protected under the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan whereas the criminal case launched against Ramish Jafarov is groundless and politically motivated.
EMDS strongly condemns the arrest and inhumane behaviour lorry drivers faced for enjoying freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly and calls the law-enforcement bodies to release the drivers soon and to launch an objective investigation into the physical violence claims
Read the full statement here
