On the night of 12-13th of August, Orkhan Zeynalov, a member of the Confederation of Trade Unions “Table of Workers” and a courier in Wolt Azerbaijan, announced that he was being persecuted by the police. According to him, a case has been opened against him for non-repayment of a bank loan. He claims that the story is many years old, and the bank had no claims against him, but the law enforcement officers suddenly remembered this and told him that they could arrest him for it.

Orkhan Zeynalov noted that he was forced to hide from the police, as he was afraid that they would also plant drugs on him, like other activists, and he would be arrested.

The persecution of activists began after a protest of couriers held on the 1st of August. The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the seizure of their scooters after innovations in the rules of the road.

Following changes to the law, the police are requiring category A driver’s licenses from couriers under the pretext that moped engines are over 50 cc. This rule came into force on December 16, 2022 due to changes in the law “On Road Traffic”.