MRI condemned pressure from management BSU on Geyushev

Media Rights Institute (MRI) strongly condemns the dismissal by Baku State University (BSU) of the professor of this university, Altai Geyushev. The dismissal is in connection with his critical statements on social networks. MRI considers this "the fear of freedom of expression."

Geyushev is a respected scholar in the country and abroad on the history of Islam. He is also a board member of the movement REAL. The Chairman of the movement Ilgar Mamedov has been in detention on trumped-up charges for more than ten months.

Known in the social networks and the media for his critical speeches of a political nature Altai Geyushev was dismissed on November 13 in the audience at BSU during a lecture.

MRI is deeply concerned with the pursuit of well-known public figures for their dissent. This resembles a similar situation with Professor Rafiq Aliyev at the Oil Academy in November 2011, as well as the writer Akram Aylisli in February 2013. This undermines the progressive image of Azerbaijan, said the statement.

MRI calls for the immediate and unconditional restoration of the violated rights of Professor Geyushev and other persecuted people. Tolerance is an important component of a democratic system, the statement's authors said.

Recall that the BSU history department students staged a protest demanding the restoration of their teacher.

In turn, the rector of BSU Abel Maharramov denied dismissal of the teacher, saying that there is no such order.

The Dean of the Faculty of History and Vice-Rector of BSU assured the students that Geyushev can return to work from November 14.

Geyushev himself today in an interview with Turan said that in view of the students' appeal to him he would go to classes at BSU on November 14. -04D06 -