Azerbaijan opposition activist jailed after traffic police dispute

Anar Arkivan

An Azerbaijani court has sentenced opposition activist Anar Arkivan to 30 days in jail following a dispute with traffic police in the capital, Baku.

Arkivan, a member of the organising committee of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), was convicted of disobeying police orders, his party said.

According to AXCP officials, Arkivan was stopped by traffic police on 16 June. Officers accused him of using his phone while driving, a claim he denied.

Murad Sultanli, the chairman of the AXCP control and inspection commission, said police called for reinforcements and used force to detain Arkivan before taking him to a local police station. He was sentenced the following day.

The AXCP has condemned the arrest as politically motivated.

This is the second time Arkivan has been detained this year. In February, he was also jailed for 30 days on charges of disobedience and minor hooliganism, which he denied.

He is one of around 20 AXCP members currently in custody, including party leader Ali Kerimli.

Kerimli was arrested in December along with another senior party member, Mammad Ibrahim, on charges of attempting to seize power and overthrow the constitutional order. His pre-trial detention was extended by five months on 10 June.

Human rights groups estimate there are currently 328 political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

The government in Baku has consistently denied holding political prisoners, insisting that individuals are only prosecuted for specific criminal offences.