Hadi Gholizadeh, Political Activist, Arrested

Human rights sources reported the arrest of Hadi Gholizadeh, a political activist, on Thursday, December 7, in Tabriz. According to the Azerbaijan Political Prisoners Defense Association (ADAP), Hadi Gholizadeh was arrested during the funeral of a cultural activist from Azerbaijan in the Valley of Mercy in Tabriz. No information has been released regarding the charges or the location of this Azerbaijani political activist's detention. The report states that Hadi Gholizadeh had previously been interrogated and pursued by security agencies due to his activities. Recently, another Azerbaijani political activist, Saleh Malabasi, was arrested in the city of Ahar, located in East Azerbaijan Province, on charges of 'spreading falsehoods and disturbing public opinion.' Additionally, about 200 activists recently issued a statement criticizing the continued detention of several 'national-civil and political activists' in various cities, including Tabriz, demanding their release. They noted the 'wave of arrests that began over two months ago in various cities of Azerbaijan' and expressed regret that official sources have not yet announced the reasons for these arrests. The signatories of this statement warned about the 'evasion' of judicial authorities in responding to inquiries about the detainees and the potential for coercing these individuals into forced confessions and 'heavy case-making.'