US calls for immediate release of Azeri election NGO chief

The US embassy in Baku issued the following statement on its website:“The United States is deeply troubled by the December 16 arrest of Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Chairman Anar Mammadli on charges of illegal entrepreneurship and subsequent sentencing to three months' pre-trial detention. “The details of the charges are still unclear, but we must question whether Mr. Mammadli's detention is related to his organization's election monitoring and reporting activities. “We have raised this case with senior members of the Government of Azerbaijan and will continue to do so. We urge that Mr. Mammadli be released immediately while the legal process continues. We will continue to closely monitor the investigation of EMDS and the International Cooperation of Volunteers Public Union. “

ANN.Az