Author of video image "Putin, goodbye!" is detained
Editor in chief of "Tolishi Sado" ("Voice of the Talysh") and a site in the Talysh language, a human rights activist Gilal Mamedov was detained. "Today he was kidnapped by unknown persons," reads the statement of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD .)
Gilal Mammadov is the author of the video image " Putin, Goodbye," which recently blew up the Internet, and had been welcomed by the Russian opposition. Mamedov made this image and placed it on the Internet, after which the Russian TV channels made several reports about it.
"The calls on his mobile phone from 14:00 to 15:30 answered an unknown male voice, who said that Gilal Mammadov can not answer the phone, because he was examined by a doctor.
After 15: 30 the mobile phone was switched off. At 16:20 a call from the Moscow number (Gilal Mamamdov brother phoned) said that Gilal was detained by police, and no explanation was followed," reads the statement of the IPD.
Only at 17:30 the City Police confirmed the detention of Mammadov on charges of illegal possession of drugs.
IPD sees it as a pressure on a civil activist, and demanded from the authorities to immediately release Mammadov.
IPD also reminded that in February 2008, previous editor of "Tolyshi Sado" professor, linguist Novruzali Mamedov, was arrested. He was subsequently convicted on trumped-up charges of spying for Iran for 10 years, and died as a result of torture in the prison hospital.