ARRESTS IN SEPTEMBER 2020

15 September

Arrested for protesting again the mosques demolition

Edgar Osmanov

Edgar Osmanov, a resident of the settlement Dyallar in the Shamkir District, was sentenced to 10 days imprisonment. According to Vetenugrunda.az, that information was provided by his father’s family,

“On 14 September Edgar was called in by the Head of the Dyallar Municipality. The mayor told Edgar that he had been summoned by the Shamkir District Police Department. So, Edgar went to the police station and did not return home. On 15 September, we were told that he had been imposed 20 days of arrest. Edgar’s father, Mahir Osmanov, went to the police station to find out about his son’s fate. There, he was told that his son had already been taken to the court, so go there, he was advised”.

Mahir Osmanov went to the court and after a long standstill at the door came in and asked about his son Edgar,

“I was asked: Are you the father of the criminal? I replied that my son had not committed any crime. He only protested against the demolition of the mosque and shared the pictures of the destruction. This is not a crime.” At that moment, two men in civilian clothes approached Mahir Osmanov, grabbed his hand and dragged him to another room. “There, they began to insult me and said that we had arrested your son, and we could arrest you too. Then one of the policemen said that my son had already been on trial and got 20 days in jail.”

In fact, Edgar Osmanov was found guilty under the Articles 510 (disorderly conduct) and 535.1 (persistent disobedience to a lawful demand of a police or military officer during the performance of their duties to protect public order) of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Azerbaijan Republic and was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention.

It should be mentioned that the mosque under construction in the Dyallar settlement is being demolished by the order of Alimpasha Mammadov, the Head of the executive authority and the municipality of the settlement. As the locals said, instead of mosque it will be built a house for the family of a person killed in the Karabakh war. However, a local teacher who wished to remain anonymous claimed that the authorities actually had intended to demolish the mosque and sell that land.

 

18 September

The State Security Service special operation: Amil Ahmadov has been arrested

Amil Ahmadov

According to the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, the investigation revealed that a citizen of Azerbaijan, Amil Ahmadov, was trained in a special training camp in the Leroman settlement of Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic in 2016-2019. He was trained in order to participate in the armed conflicts carried out under the guise of spread of religious confessions. He learned how to use various types of firearms and explosives. Thereafter, he took part in terrorist acts outside the country. In particular, it was revealed that he had been a member of “Jeyshullah” and other illegal armed groups in military conflicts in the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib.

Subsequently, Amil Ahmadov secretly fled to the territory of a third state.

On 7 September 2020, Amil Ahmadov was detained as a suspect by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan and charged under the Article 283-1.3 (Creation of stable group to participate in the armed conflicts outside the Azerbaijan Republic) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. The court issued a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

The criminal case is currently ongoing.

ARRESTS IN AUGUST 2020

23 August

The number of mosque prisoners is growing

Mosque in the settlement of Nardaran

The closure of mosques due to the quarantine confinement in Azerbaijan has caused a great deal of resentment among believers.

According to Vetenugrunda.az reports from the regions, the worshippers protesters have undergone detention all over the country. In particular, Aykhan Jamalov and Eldar Mammadov from the Shamkir region got 25 days of administrative arrest each for protesting against the mosques closure.

Similarly, in Barda, a former political prisoner, Elshan Abbasov, a member of the “Muslim Unity” Movement, was summoned to the police station for a brief discussion but has not yet been released. It was told to his relatives that he had been sentenced up to 30 days of administrative arrest.

A resident of Yevlakh, the poet Ghazanfar, was jailed for 15 days for posting on his personal social media page a demand requesting to open the mosques.

Behbud Imanov, a resident of Lerik, was detained on administrative grounds for 20 days. He was organizing a religious meeting at his house.

Eight people were brought to the police department in the Lankaran district. Seven of them were released the same day but the theologian Seyid Javid Miriyev was sentenced to 10 days under administrative arrest.

There are also reports concerning 20 believers in Beylaqan district who were first detained, then fined and released. In Ganja, 6 people were released after being interrogated in the police department.

On 21 August, in the evening, the police detained and took to the police department 6 believers who were on their way to a mosque in Javad village in the Sabirabad District.  The worshippers were fined 200 manats after which they were let going home.

Last week, Elchin Qasymov, the deputy chairman of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM), was also summoned to the Sabunchi district police department following his speech regarding mosque closures and the banning of religious month Maharram ceremonies.

During a briefing session of the operational staff within the Cabinet of Ministers, it was stated that the opening of mosques was not planned till the end of the year.

Elchin Qasymov, the deputy chairman of the MUM, wrote in his statement,

“Once the quarantine in other countries has been eased, the places of worship were handed over to the worshippers. We would like to see the activities in mosques restored with certain measures aimed at preventing the pandemic in our country.”

At the operational headquarters briefing on quarantine, it was announced that the opening of mosques prior to the end of the year was non-negotiable. This opinion is biased. For no one can predict the course of the ongoing illness. There is enough time. Maybe in a week or month it will be possible to find some remedy to prevent this disease.

The mosques may also be opened according to the rules in force in other countries. The communities of all mosques, as well as those rendering services in the mosques, may regulate these procedures by controlling the wearing of medical masks, the observance of the necessary distance between worshippers, disinfection…”.

After being interrogated in the Sabunchi district police department, E. Qasymov shared that information on his social media page. According to the theologian, he was told by the police that the Caucasus Board of Muslims had a decision regarding the mosques and religious rituals to be followed. It was also forewarned that the police would interfere in gatherings of believers that were not authorized.

 

27 August

Another believer was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest in the town of Yevlakh

Abdulrahim Shahverdiyev

According to the Vetenugrunda.az, on 27 August Abdulrahim Shahverdiyev, a resident of Yevlakh District, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for expressing his protest against the ban on attending mosque and participating in Ashura religious event on his social network page. It should be pointed out that it is the second believer who has been issued an administrative sanction for protesting against the closure of mosques in the Yevlakh District on a social network. Earlier, the poet Ghazanfar Fardi, a resident of Yevlakh, was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest for a similar protest against the closure of mosques on a social network.

Aykhan Jamalov and Eldar Mammadov from Shamkir district were each sentenced to 25 days of administrative arrest for protesting against the closure of mosques.

Also, it became known that the theologian, Tahir Ibishov, was sentenced to 25 days of administrative detention for organizing a religious meeting in his house in Saatly District.

 

31 August

Faliq Valiyev trained as a terrorist and diversionist has been detained and taken to Azerbaijan

Faliq Valiyev

As a result of the investigation of the State Security Service of the Azerbaijan, reasonable suspicions were established that a citizen of the Azerbaijan, Faliq Valiyev, was trained in the use of methods of committing terrorist crimes, using firearms, explosives and devices, as well as other dangerous methods and technical means to violate public security, to create panic among the population, to influence decision-making by state bodies, as well as he was involved by foreign special services in exercises of an intelligence and provocative nature, under a personal pseudonym, and he took part in the activities of an illegal armed group created for the purpose of committing serious and especially serious crimes outside the country. Faliq Valiyev was brought as a defendant under articles 12.1, 218.2 (Participation in a criminal association or organization), 12.3, 214-3.1 (Training outside of the Azerbaijan Republic for the purposes of terrorism) and 12.1, 279.1 (Participation in the activities of armed groups not provided for by legislation outside of the Azerbaijan Republic) of the Criminal code of the Azerbaijan Republic, according to the judicial court he was imposed a pre-trial resistant and announced for international search.

After Faliq Valiyev entered the territory of the Russian Federation, he was detained under the mutual legal assistance procedure for international search and extradited to the Azerbaijan on 27 August 2020.

The criminal investigation is currently ongoing.

ARRESTS IN JULY 2020

28 July

Russia extradited a member of illegal armed groups to Azerbaijan

Mehdi Shukurov

According to the information of the State Security of Azerbaijan, on 28 July 2020 the Russian authorities extradited to Azerbaijan Mehdi Aflatun oglu Shukurov, an Azerbaijani accused of participating in illegal armed groups in a number of foreign countries under the religious name “Mukhtar”.

Aflatun Shukurov was charged under the Articles 12.3, 214-3.1 (Terrorist training outside the Azerbaijan Republic) and 12.1, 279.1 (Participation in armed groups outside the Azerbaijan Republic) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Previously, he was put on the international wanted list. After appearing on the territory of Russia, he was detained and, according to the agreement on mutual legal assistance, was extradited to Azerbaijan. The criminal investigation is ongoing.

ARRESTS IN JUNE 2020

16 June

Member of the Muslim Unity Movement Detained

Samir Babayev

On 1 June, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement Samir Babayev was detained. As members of this public organization told Turan Agency, Samir Babayev was detained in the morning by people in civilian clothes in front of his uncle’s house. He was put in a white car and taken away in an unknown direction.

It was not possible to get a comment at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

ARRESTS IN MAY 2020

16 May

A wanted Islamist was detained for involvement in the foreign illegal  armed gangs

Saleh Adilov

The Azerbaijani State Security Service reported that as a result of joint search operations carried out along with the Turkish Intelligence Services, an Azerbaijani citizen, Saleh Adilov, d.o.b. 1984, was detained and brought to our country.

According to the information, in 2008, Saleh Adilov along with other members of a religious radical gang attacked a combat post of military unit N in the Terter region. As a result, one soldier was killed and another seriously injured, and weapons and ammunition were stolen from the site of the attack.

Saleh Adilov managed to escape prosecution and left the territory of Azerbaijan heading to Iran on 14 May, 2009, where he took part in the illegal armed units operating outside the country. Quite soon he found himself in the North Waziristan Province of Pakistan, via Iran, where he joined a terrorist group affiliated with the “Taliban” and led by Vugar Hajizada.

Following the 2010 assassination of V.Hajizada by the international anti-terrorist coalition, Saleh Adilov took over the leadership of the group. In 2014, he was arrested by the Iranian law enforcement authorities while attempting to secretly travel to Turkey and from there to Syria.

After his release in 2019, Saleh Adilov illegally sneaked into Turkey and hid there, where he was captured in the city of Van.

A criminal investigation against him is currently ongoing.

ARRESTS IN MARCH 2020

3 March

Ilham Aliyev has been accused of collaboration with Iranian intelligence services.

Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev (a namesake of the Azerbaijani President), who has been an acting Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan since 2011, was detained on 29 February 2020. That day he was summoned to the State Security Service where he was convicted under the Article 274 (Treason to the Motherland) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and immediately arrested.

On 2 March 2020 the Sabayil District Court of Baku City chose a measure of restraint arrest for 4 months.

At the court, I. Aliyev’s defence was represented by a lawyer appointed by the authorities, who, in his turn, was not active throughout the trial. The relatives of the arrested man engaged another lawyer, Osman Kazimov, who submitted an appeal against his unlawful detention on 3 March.

“Ilham Aliyev had an appointed lawyer at the trial. I was engaged by Aliyev’s family to defend him. I have not seen my client yet.  So far, I have not been able to contact the investigator in order to get a written document enabling me to meet with my client in the detention centre. I hope I will be allowed to see him in the next few days. Today, on 3 March, I wrote an appeal against Osman’s arrest. The Law stipulates that an appeal can be lodged without the defendant’s knowledge”, Kazimov told the press.

Further, the lawyer added that he has not familiarised himself with the details of the accusation yet.

“All we know is that the IPA chairman is accused of collaborating with the Iranian intelligence services,” he explained.

In their turn, on 1 March, the IPA leaders, who remained at large, circulated a statement on the party’s Facebook page stating that Aliyev had not committed any crimes and should be immediately released:

“We, the members of the IPA board, are certain that Ilham Aliyev has had no acts of a criminal nature. We view his detention as a misunderstanding and biased. We consider it as a wrongful step against the Islamic theologian, as a violation of human rights, as an unacceptable act in a country that has chosen the democratic course of development.”

 

15 March

An activist of the “Muslim Unity” Movement has been again arrested

Elvin Muradov

On 13 March 2020, Elvin Muradov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement and poet, left his home in Baku to attend the Friday prayers at the mosque, whereupon his phone line was cut off and his family did not know what had happened to him. His family members being concerned called the Ministry of Interior Affaires hotline and also contacted the Yasamal district administration office. But they were unable to clarify the fate of the religious activist. On March 14, the relatives called the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where they were told that Elvin Muradov had been detained but he would soon be released. The same answer was also provided to them on 15 March.

Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Public Committee on the Protection of the Rights of the Islamists Under Arrest, said the following about the religious activist who had been detained:

“Elvin is a member of the “Muslim Unity” Movement. He is the author of a poem and song dedicated to Tal Bagirzade, the leader of the Movement who, in 2017, was arrested and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, the poem was about the unjustified persecution of him and his agony for his expressions. Elvin also wrote some other pro-choice lyrics, which are popular among the believers. Elvin has been living in Russia for some time. On 5 February, upon his arrival, he was detained and taken to the General Department on Combating Organized Crime, where he was held until midnight and then released. It happened close to the time of the Parliamentary elections and his arrest could have raised considerable international attention. And now he has been arrested again.”

Elvin Muradov’s song about Tal Bagirzade is called “Freedom Worshipper”. The author shared it on his Youtube channel, Elvin Murvetoglu, on 12 December 2019, and in a short time the song had been listened to by a great number of people.

On 5 February 2020, Muradov was already detained shortly after returning from Moscow. He was taken to the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and released late in the evening.

 

19 March

A “Muslim Unity” Movement activist faces criminal charges

Elvin Muradov

It was not until 16 March 2020, that details of the 13 March arrest and the charges brought against Elvin Muradov, a member of the “Muslim Unity” Movement and poet, finally became known. Initially, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Muradov’s relatives were told that they had no information about the religious activist. Then, they confirmed his location but assured that he would be released in a short while. It was only on 16 March that an investigator called Elvin’s family to inform them that back on 14 March, the Narimanov District Court of Baku had selected a preventive measure against Muradov in the form of three-month-detain on charges of illegal weapons trafficking. Then he was transferred to the Baku Pre-trial Detention Centre 1 in the town of Kyurdakhani located outside Baku.

Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Public Committee on the Protection of Rights of the Islamists Under Arrest, as well as Muradov’s relatives, have doubts about the credibility of the charges and have stressed that there had been procedural irregularities in Muradov’s case.

ARRESTS IN FEBRUARY 2020

5 February

Religious activist detained

Elvin Muradov

Member of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) Elvin Muradov was detained on 5 February 2020 at the Baku airport upon arrival from Moscow. This was reported by his relatives.

He has been working in Russia for a long time and periodically comes to Baku. The last time he was in Azerbaijan six months ago.

“This time he came in connection with the state of health and the birthday of the child. At 13:30 on arrival in Baku, he was detained at the airport by police. After that, there is no information about him,” said Muradov’s relatives.

They believe that Muradov was detained because of songs performed in defense of the convicted MUM leader, Tale Bagirzade.

“Murad is a poet and songwriter. Probably, he was arrested for poems and songs about Tale and other prisoners,” said relatives.

The attempts to get comments in the Ministry of Internal Affairs were futile.

 

6 February

Religious activist released after being detained at airport

Elvin Muradov

Elvin Muradov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM), who was detained at the Baku airport and was arriving from Moscow the day before, was released late in the evening.

As it became known, Elvin Muradov was taken from the airport to the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and released only at 23:00.

MUM linked the detention of Elvin Muradov, who lives mainly in Russia, with the writing of poems and songs about the organization’s leader Tale Bagirzade and other arrested activists.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not comment on the reason for the detention of Elvin Muradov.

 

29 February

Acting chair of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan arrested

Ilham Aliyev

On 29 February 2020, Ilham Aliyev (a namesake of the Azerbaijani President), the acting Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, was summoned to the State Security Service of Azerbaijan. Since then, all communications with him have been lost.

* The leader of the party, Movsum Samadov, was arrested on 7 January 2011 on charge of treason (Article 274 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic). He was sentenced to 12 years in prison on 7 October 2011 on charges of trying to forcibly overthrow the constitutional order and create a religious state in the country.

17 January

Russia extradited person involved in “Ganja case” to Azerbaijan

Mushfiq Qurbanov

Mushfiq Qurbanov, who was declared internationally wanted in the “Ganja case”, was brought from Moscow to Azerbaijan and detained in the Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 of Kyurdakhani near Baku, said his mother Anisa Qurbanova on 17 January 2020.

Qurbanov was put on the wanted list by the decision of the Nasimi District Court on 15 July 2018. In particular, he is accused of attempted murder, terrorism, illegal possession of weapons, inciting sectarianism, an attempt to change forcibly the constitutional order, etc.

According to his mother, M. Qurbanov left for Russia to earn money in February 2017. In October 2018, he was detained in the courtyard of the house where he lived. And then it turned out that he was put on an international wanted list in Azerbaijan, continued A. Qurbanova.

“My son did not know Yunis Safarov (he committed an attempt on the former head of Ganja on 3 July 2018). We don’t know what my son has to do with this matter,” continued A. Qurbanova.

She noted that M. Qurbanov spent 1 year and 3 months in a pre-trial detention center in Moscow and during that time, no investigative actions were taken against him.

“In April 2019, the term for the measure of restraint of arrest expired and the Moscow court found that the evidence presented was not sufficient. Nevertheless, despite the lawyer’s requests for the release of my son, the court left him in custody,” Anisa Qurbanova said.

According to A. Qurbanova, she only learned on 17 January that her son was taken to Baku and he was in a pre-trial detention center in Kyurdakhani. However, she does not know when her son was brought to Baku. A. Qurbanova noted, her son suffers from a mental illness and epilepsy.

“He receives treatment for these diseases and has medical certificates and prescriptions from doctors,” the woman said.

The attempts to get comments from the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Prison Service of Azerbaijan were futile.

 

23 January

Russia extradites another person involved in “Ganja case” to Azerbaijan

Yusif Sadiqov

Yusif Sadiqov, put on the international wanted list in connection with the Ganja events, was extradited to Azerbaijan on 21 January 2020, after a long time in one of the Moscow pretrial detention centers.

This was reported by his relatives on 22 January 2020. According to them, Y. Sadigov is imprisoned in the Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 of Kyurdakhani.

According to the same sources, Y. Sadigov was prosecuted for revealing his telephone conversations with Yunis Safarov, accused of attempting to assassinate former head of Ganja Elmar Valiyev. Sadiqov’s relatives declare his not involvement in any crimes.

Sadiqov became the second person involved in the “Ganja case” extradited to Azerbaijan from Russia recently. Earlier, Mushfiq Qurbanov, who was declared internationally wanted in the Ganja case, was transferred to Azerbaijan.

Law enforcement agencies do not comment on reports of extradition of persons involved in the “Ganja case”.

 

 

31 January

Muslim Unity Movement declared pressure on its members

Logo of the Muslim Unity Movement

According to the statement of the Muslim Unity Movement, in recent days, six activists of the Movement have been summoned to the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Movement does not disclose the names of these activists, but it is regarded as pressure on them.

“Law enforcement agencies impede our legitimate activities. We will inform international organizations and the diplomatic corps about this,” the document says.

The attempts to get a comment at the Ministry of Internal Affairs were futile.