The public association “Legal Education of Sumgayit Youth” appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee with a call to assist in the release of the head of this NGO, Elchin Mammad, from prison.
The authors of the message believe that the real reason for Mammad’s arrest was his reports on the situation with human rights in Azerbaijan, his critical publications on social networks against the authorities, and exposure of corruption.
Mammadov was arrested in March 2020 and sentenced to 4 years in prison on trumped-up charges of theft and illegal possession of ammunition. Local courts dismissed his appeals against the verdict and now he intends to seek recognition of the unlawfulness of his criminal prosecution in the European Court of Human Rights.
The authors of the appeal call on the UN Committee to achieve the release of the activist on parole before making a final decision on the illegality of the arrest of the activist.
* On October 17, 2020, the Sumgayit City Court sentenced Elchin Mammad, head of the Legal Education of Sumgayt Youth NGO and editor of the Yukselish Namine website, to 4 years in prison, finding him guilty of “theft” and “illegal possession of ammunition and weapons.”
The international organizations Amnesty İnternational, PEN, FİACAT and others condemned Mammad’s arrest. Local human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner.
Turan
