Arrests of believers in the context of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations

Baku/20.10.21/Turan: On  October 19, theologian, head of the news website deyerler.org and the Center for the Defense of Freedom of Religion and Conscience (DEVAMM) Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, members of the Spiritual Assembly of Azerbaijan Sardar Babayev, Jalal Shafiev, Gadir Mammadov, Ali Musaev and Tamkin Jafarov were detained. All   of them are the employees of the maide.az website.

Ibrahimoglu was released on the morning of October 20 after being interrogated as a witness at the State Security Service. Shafiev and Mamedov were also released, but a few hours later, two of them were detained again. Searches were carried out in the homes of the arrested, computers and telephones were seized. All the detainees, with the exception of Ibrahimoglu, collaborated with the maide.az website.

What's happening? What are the reasons for the arrests?

Political observer Zardusht Alizadeh answered these and other questions in the “Difficult Question” program.

According to the expert, despite the fact that after a sharp exacerbation of relations between Azerbaijan and Iran, the tension is gradually subsiding and an agreement has already been reached on the meeting of foreign ministers and their discussion of existing contradictions, the arrest of people sympathetic to Iran was expected.

“Aggravation of relations with Iran, as a rule, is accompanied by arrests of those who sympathize with this country, propagandize and extol its people. Actually, in Azerbaijan before, from time to time, Iranian-minded people were arrested. They were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. In the 90s, such people were severely beaten, they were even killed. Therefore, repression against such people is common. The society is calm about this because since the times of the USSR, a stratum of society has formed that has a negative attitude towards the fans of Iran,” he said.

Alizadeh doubted that those arrested are the Fifth Column of Iran, and even more so its agents. “Even if the court decides that these people are representatives of Iranian agents, Iranian spies, I will not believe it. Because, I have an idea of ​​what our judicial system is. She acts exclusively by order, makes unfair sentences, ”he said.

Alizade suggested that these are sincerely religious people who sympathize with Iran and wish to expand Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. However, there is no evidence of their subversion.

In this regard, the story of Taleh Bagirzadeh, convicted on charges of preparing a coup d'etat, is indicative,” the expert emphasized. –0--