No News from Azeri Activist, Two Months after Arrest

Over two months have passed since Azeri civil activist Ayat Mehrali Beiglo was arrested by agents of the Tabriz Intelligence Department, yet his fate remains shrouded in uncertainty.

In a recent video posted on Instagram, his brother Yilmaz Mehrali Beiglo revealed that the activist has only been able to make one brief phone call since his arrest. 

According to him, Branch 15 of the Tabriz General and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office has provided no information about the activist’s condition or whereabouts.

He cited the prosecutor handling the case, Seyyed Ali Mousavi, as saying that Ayat’s detention was prolonged and tight restrictions were placed upon him because his family publicized his plight.

While in custody, the detainee has been denied access to a lawyer and family visits.

Ayat, an advocate of the rights of ethnic Azeris, was apprehended in Hadishahr, East Azerbaijan province, on November 7 last year, amid a widening crackdown on Azeri civil activists.

Prosecutor Mousavi was put in charge of many of these cases.