Police in Azerbaijan has arrested and detained three key opposition leaders and over 100 activists in the country, ahead of protests scheduled to hold in response to results from February 9, 2020, single-chamber parliamentary elections announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Surprise Elections and Accusations of Rigging

While the country’s parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for November 2020, a shocking dissolution of the Azerbaijan legislature in December 2019 brought the election process closer, motivating President Ilham Aliyev to set a new date of February 9, 2020. While the CEC could not directly tie it to the new election date, its report following the polls showed a 7.89 drop in voter turnout, in comparison to similar elections held in 2015.

Despite promises from the ruling party explicitly stating that the elections would be democratic and free from interference and fraud, international observers and opposition parties accused the government of stifling parties and individuals whose allegiance was not with the President or his party. 

In a statement made to AFP published in Asia Times, the opposition leader of the Musavat party, Arif Gadjjily, said: “The elections were totally falsified,” a conviction shared by party leader, Isa Gambar, who told Reuters: “We are already observing a number of violations in polling stations where we have observers.”

The ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) party won 72 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature on February 9, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC). Nearly all other seats went to small parties and independents loyal to President Ilham Aliyev.

Detention of Opposition Leaders and Activists

To disrupt a protest scheduled to hold on February 16, 2020, the police had detained opposition leaders either at their homes or outside their party headquarters. Some of those detained include REAL party leader, Ilgar Mamedly, the head of D18 opposition movement, Ruslan Izzatly, and Arif Hajili, who heads Musavat Party. They were released later that evening.

Apart from the arrest of party leaders, several protesters who arrived at the CEC building ahead of the rally were arrested and driven to remote deserted places in police buses. Among those taken away from the venue of the rally was Mehman Huseynov, who previously ran as a candidate in the municipal elections.

Prior to Sunday’s arrest, over 20 opposition and independents candidates protesting the results were arrested on February 11, 2020.