Are Azerbaijanis in Dagestan harassed?

The Azerbaijanis living compactly in the Derbent region of Dagestan  protest actions against the unlawful decisions of the leadership of this country, was announced at today’s press conference at the International Press Center, organized by the leadership of the magazine "Azerbaijan Dunyasy."

The magazine's editor Eldar Ismail said that the reason for the protest was an attempt to dismiss the ethnic Azerbaijanis Gurban Gurbanovfrom the position of the head of Derbent. Heads of district administrations in Dagestan are elected by the residents, and Qurbanov power will expire in May 2015.

Gurbanov refuses to leave the post, saying that  he has a mandate of the voters. Abdullatipov wants to appoint the head of Derbent an ethnic Tabasarans, former Justice Minister Azadi Ragimov.

The organizers of the press conference, consider that behind it is the desire to deprive the Azerbaijanis of hundreds of Azerbaijanis hectares of productive land. They want to deprive  the Azerbaijanis of  the  last fortress in Dagestan, Derbent, and  to evict the Azerbaijanis of this republic.  The leadership of Dagestan  is annoyed that Qurbanov receives help from Azerbaijan for socio-economic development of the region.

Baku  has allocated 30 million manats for the socio-economic development of  Derbent. In addition,  it is provided the construction of new buildings for the Azerbaijani theater, landscaping of the park Nizami, construction of the Olympic complex. All this means strengthening the position of Azerbaijanis in Derbent, that does not suit certain forces in Makhachkala.  In this regard, the Azerbaijanis  of Dagestan  call on official Baku to pay attention to the situation in Derbent, said  Eldar Ismail. -04C05-