Ramin Bayramov is an

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

i journalist.

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

described him in 2011 as a "prominent Islamic activist". On 11 August 2011, he was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities. Police stated that they found a pistol, a hand grenade, and drugs in a search of his home. The following day, the National Security Ministry announced that he was arrested on suspicion of "treason, breach of national security and the incitement of mass unrest". However, these charges were not filed, and he was instead charged with possession of drugs and an illegal firearm. In March, Bayramov was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

described the charges as "politically motivated" and "trumped up by Azerbaijan’s secular authorities in order to silence iscoverage of religious issues". The organization designated Bayramov a

prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...

Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...

called the charges "spurious".

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; ; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its a ...

noted its "dismay", stating, "In all likelihood, Ramin Bayramov is the latest victim of the crackdown striking religious circles and pro-Iranian Azerbaijan."

References

Living people Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Azerbaijan Azerbaijani journalists Azerbaijani prisoners and detainees Year of birth missing (living people) {{Azerbaijan-writer-stub

See also

References