Azerbaijan: Deputy Chair of the opposition party arrested at the Georgian-Azerbaijani border

Gozal Beyramli, the Deputy Chair of the opposing Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP), was arrested at a customs checkpoint while returning from Georgia to Azerbaijan late on 25 May.

Ali Karimli, the APFP leader, was the first to report the incident on his FB page. “Beyramli had something planted in her bag and was arrested,” Karimli’s FB post reads. Beyramli managed to report this to Karimli by phone.

Recently, Gozal Beyramli has frequently traveled to Georgia for medical treatment.

Karimli called on Azerbaijani authorities to act in a ‘manly’ manner: ‘At least you should avoid using such unmanly methods against women. You are crossing line. Mind that you will be held accountable for that!” the Azerbaijani ‘Meydan TV’ website quoted Karimli as saying.

“Gozal Beyramli was interrogated by National Security Service officers,” Oqtay Gyulaliev, a human rights activist, reported. “According to some unofficial reports, fake bills amounting to US$10,000 were found in her bag,” Gyulaliev reported on his FB page.

According to Nureddin Mammadli, Chairman of the APFP High Majlis, who travelled to the incident scene, Beyramli was reportedly taken to the Border Troops Headquarters, stationed in Shamkir town. “Apparently, they are trying to charge her with attempted smuggling,” Azadliq Radio, another online media outlet which had recently been blocked in Azerbaijan, quoted Mammadli as saying.