Baku/19.09.13/Turan : The Committee to Protect Islamists held today, in the office of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety, a press conference on the cases of the arrested believers in Azerbaijan between 2010-2013.
The members of the Committee say that since 2010, the authorities launched a "crusade" against the Islamists. During this period, several groups of believers were arrested - the marchers to the Alley of Martyrs in February 2010, the leaders of the Islamic Party in January 2012, protesters against the ban on wearing headscarves in schools, in May 2011 and in October 2012, etc. The total number arrested, according to the Committee, are, in February 2010, five people were arrested, in 2011 - 17 persons, in 2012 - more than 80 people. Since the beginning of 2013 - two people.
Committee member, Emil Rahiloglu, said that the wave of Islamophobia began in 2009 with a ban on the azan and the destruction of mosques, followed by arrests. He believes that prohibition of the ban in 2010, a ban on the wearing of the hijab, resulted in believers of repression against Islamists. The ban on the wearing of headscarves by high school students has created problems in the families of believers.
The Head of the Centre for Protection of Freedom of Conscience and Religion (DEVAMM),
Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, expressed concern about the persecution against believers. As for the ban on the hijab, then, despite some easing of restrictions, problems still remain. He believes that the pressure put on the citizens because of the hijab, and the limiting of the access to mosques should be eliminated, and those arrested for speaking out against the violation of the rights of believers should be released.
Human rights activist, Rasul Jafarov, called most of those arrested believers "prisoners of conscience."
He reported on the preparation of a new list of political prisoners, whose number has increased in recent years. In addition, human rights activists intend to initiate the recovery of the Institute of the PACE rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. A member of the Supreme Majlis of the Islamic Party, Natig Karimov, said that for the release of all political prisoners, and to escape from the oppressive regime, citizens have to go to the polls and vote for change.-16C-
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