Why was there armed attack on Fazil Mustafa?

On the evening of March 28, Milli Majlis deputy Fazil Mustafa was shot in front of his house. "As a result of the terrorist attack, Fazil Mustafa received a gunshot wound that pierced his right shoulder girdle and the lower third of his right thigh... There is no threat to life," the State Security Service (SSS) said in a statement.

The deputy from the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP), well-known Mammadov, told Turan that, like his colleague F.Mustafa, he regarded the armed attack as a terrorist act: "This is an attack on freedom of speech, democracy in Azerbaijan. This is a step taken by foreign forces to prevent stability in Azerbaijan, comfortable living of people, reforms carried out in the country, political movement for the liberation of their lands in Azerbaijan."

The deputy said that F.Mustafa, as a deputy, opposed the forces that want to destabilize Azerbaijan.

According to Mammadov, after the armed attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran on January 27 this year and several subversive actions, there is no other version left: "Also, March 28 is the holiday of the State Security Service, on the same day the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Israel opens. There is an absolute Iranian hand here, and they, as always, continue to commit subversive actions here."

It was not possible to get a response to this statement from the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Human Rights, Zahid Oruj, told Turan that the incident occurred on the day of the celebration of the professional holiday of the state security bodies and the official start of the activities of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel: "In Khankendi and its environs, Azerbaijan exercises control over all strategic roads. Dear Mr. President, appointing yesterday, March 28, a special representative in Lachin, added that we take positions that allow us to control Armenia's actions and will continue to strengthen. Along with this, quite hard events are unfolding in the region. From this point of view, we can say that the air smells of political terror."

According to him, the regional situation is very difficult now: "But at the same time, our citizens rejoiced that our country is an island of stability. Now they (hostile forces) want to disrupt this stability. They are trying to ensure that Azerbaijan takes the path of confrontation with various states and abandons the policy of balance. They want us to take sides, join different blocs. If the external traces of this terror are proved, then the relations with this state (who committed terror - ed.) should be determined by the results of the investigation."

But there are other views on the situation. According to some observers, this event may also be aimed at distracting attention from a number of issues.

Former intelligence officer Arastun Oruklu says that this incident was connected specifically with F. Mustafa. And it was an expected event: "Because the recent events in Baku - the attack on the ATM in Bravo this month, the shooting at the state circus at noon - were, as it were, preparing public opinion in Azerbaijan for such events."

According to him, the attack on politicians always aims to cause confusion and fear in society: "The ultimate goal of this is destabilization, this is the course taken."

The expert stressed that he could not say who or which country committed this attack: "I still have no facts, evidence. But I can say that if an attack is made on a politician, a member of Parliament, then they make it clear to society that no one in this country is safe. This is both a political and a public message."-0-