Stop illegal arrests in Azerbaijan

Chief Editor of "Tolyshi Sado" (Voice of Talysh), the deputy head of the Talysh Cultural Centre in Baku Mr. Hilal Mammadov was arrested on 21-th June 2012 on charges of drug possession.

Two weeks later, on July 4 he was charged under Articles 274 (high treason) and 283.2.2 (incitement of national, racial, social and religious hatred, hostility, and ethnic discrimination). Mamedov denies the allegations of drug possession and said he believes he has been targeted for political reasons.

At the same time the local and international democratic community is convinced that Mammadov is being persecuted for political reasons during his active civil position and human rights activities.Also it is not a secret that Mammadov’s case has ethnic background, because he defended the civil and political rights of ethnic Talysh people. To be Talysh,to speak Talysh language, to call itself Talysh or their homeland Talyshstan in Azerbaijan equal to a crime.

Mammadov was reportedly beaten in custody and photos documenting this abuse have been sent by his lawyer to the Nizami District Prosecutor in Baku. Mammadov is the co-author of a popular online video on Talysh meykhana "Who are you? Come on, goodbye."

"Tolyshi Sado"(Voice of Talysh) is the only Talysh-language newspaper in Azerbaijan. The Talysh are a minority group who mostly live in the Talyshstan Region (officially Southern Region) of Azerbaijan near the Iranian border. A previous editor-in-chief of "Tolyshi Sado"(Voice of Talysh), Novruzali Mammadov, died in prison in 2010 while serving a 10-year sentence on politically motivated charges of high treason. Mr. Hilal Mammadov served as the head of Novruzali Mammadov’s defence committee.