NEWS IN MAY 2021
4 May
Action in defense of the persons involved in the “Ganja case”
About 10 women – family members of the defendants in the “Ganja case” came to the building of the Milli Mejlis with portraits of convicts. They chanted the slogan “We want freedom for the Ganja prisoners”, demanded a meeting with the parliament leadership and deputies from Ganja.
“Before the parliamentary elections, the deputy from Ganja Musa Guliyev promised that after the election he would help in making a fair decision on the affairs of our children. But as soon as he received his mandate, he forgot about us,” said one of the protesters.
The police officers forced the women into the bus and removed them from the parliament building.
On July 3, 2018, an attempt was made on the life of the then head of the city Elmar Veliyev in Ganja. A native of Ganja, Yunis Safarov wounded Veliyev and his bodyguard.
After that, a protest rally in front of the Ganja administration building was scheduled for July 10. On that day, riots broke out in the city, during which two police officers were killed. This was followed by mass arrests of believers and others.
For these events, criminal cases were initiated against 70 people. The defendants were sentenced to imprisonment from six to 18 years. About 10 people were released on parole. The trial against Safarov and 11 others began in January 2020.
4 May
The new statistics on registered religious organisations and places of worship in Azerbaijan
While addressing the plenary session of the Parliament in the course of the debate of the draft amendments to the law “On Freedom of Religion” in the third reading, the MP Siyavush Novruzov said that there were 970 religious organizations registered in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, there were 2.463 mosques in the country, and each of them should have a community. Further, the MP pointed out that there were 765 sanctuaries (piers) in Azerbaijan,
” We have problems with their registration. The work should be done to eliminate these problems”.
10 May
Advisory Council of Religious Denominations established in Azerbaijan
On May 10, the Caucasian Muslims Board held a foundation meeting of the Advisory Council of heads of religious confessions in Azerbaijan. This is stated in the information released by the CMB.
The meeting’s agenda included the formation of the Advisory Council, the approval of its members, and the election of the chairman, as well as the approval of the Council’s regulations.
According to the information, it would be appropriate to establish a body called Advisory Council of heads of religious confessions operating in Azerbaijan.
The meeting unanimously approved the formation of the Advisory Council, and the heads of churches operating in Azerbaijan were approved as members.
It was determined that the composition of the Advisory Council is open and applications from other religious confessions active in Azerbaijan, which have adopted its regulations, may also be considered for inclusion in the Advisory Council.
Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, was elected as the chairman of the Advisory Council, the regulations of the organization was approved taking into account the proposals.
The members of the Advisory Council are Archbishop Alexander of Baku and Azerbaijan of the Russian Orthodox Church, head of the Community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan Melih Yevdaev, head of the Community of European Jews of Baku Alexander Sharovsky, Bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan Vladimir Fekete, Chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community Robert Mobili, First Deputy Chairman of the CMB, Mufti Salman.
13 May
U.S. urges Azerbaijan to remove burdensome registration requirements for faith groups, release prisoners
Washington on Wednesday urged the Azerbaijani authorities to “remove the burdensome registration requirements for faith groups, and to release all individuals who have been imprisoned for exercising their fundamental freedoms,” Daniel Nadel, a senior official in the State Department’s (DoS) Office of International Freedom, told TURAN’s Washington correspondent during the Department’s special briefing on the release of annual report on International Religious Freedom for 2020.
“… We continue to see reports that the [Azerbaijani] government has physically abused, arrested, and imprisoned religious activists over the course of the last year on account of their religious beliefs. Reports estimate that Azerbaijani prisons held about 40 to 50 people who activists considered to be political prisoners detained on account of their religious beliefs,” – Nadel said.
The DoS report, which is the 23rd of its kind, paints a grim picture of intolerance and other negative trends in countries that are known for repressing religious minorities, TURAN’s U.S. correspondent reports.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken introduced the report at a press conference on Wednesday.
“[O]ur promise to the world is that the Biden-Harris administration will protect and defend religious freedom around the world. We will maintain America’s longstanding leadership on this issue,” he told reporters.
“Religious freedom is a key element of an open and stable society. Without it, people aren’t able to make their fullest contribution to their country’s success. And whenever human rights are denied, it ignites tension, it breeds division,” the Secretary added.
The report, which documents religious freedom conditions in every nation globally, is “a valuable tool to hold countries accountable for persecution and violence, as well as to support needed change,” according to the U.S. religious freedom body USCIRF, which recently pitched adding Azerbaijan to the DoS’ Special Watch List.
Now that the Department’s Report is released, the Secretary will “begin a review of the situation for religious freedom in all countries to determine whether any of them or which ones meet the legal criteria to be designated as Countries of Particular Concern or Special Watch List countries,” according to DoS officials.
“[W]e’ll begin in short order, and over the next few months we’ll be assessing those situations, and the Secretary will be making the determinations… We anticipate those announcements to be going out some time later this year,” State Department’s Daniel Nadel said in response to TURAN’s questions.
According to the Report, throughout last year, Azerbaijani courts, continued reviewing appeals and sentencing individuals detained after a July 2018 attack on the then-head of the Ganja City Executive Committee and the subsequent killing of two police officers. Authorities alleged those sentenced were part of a Shia “extremist conspiracy” that sought to undermine the constitutional order. “Civil society activists and human rights groups considered the vast majority of the verdicts to be politically motivated and estimated 43 individuals remained in prison at year’s end in connection with the events in Ganja.”
Authorities continued legal action against individuals associated with the unregistered Muslim Unity Movement (MUM), which the government characterized as an extremist group. Civil society activists and human rights advocates considered the incarceration of MUM members to be politically motivated.
The U.S. Ambassador to Baku and other U.S. embassy officers “engaged government officials to advocate for the release of individuals NGOs stated were imprisoned for their religious beliefs,” reads the report.
“The Ambassador and embassy officers urged [Azerbaijani] government officials to address longstanding issues with the registration process for smaller religious communities and to implement an alternative to military service for conscientious objectors, as stipulated in the constitution. The Ambassador advocated at the highest levels of government for the protection of religious and cultural sites in the newly returned territories. The Ambassador and embassy officers met regularly with representatives of registered and unregistered religious groups and civil society to discuss religious freedom in the country. Embassy officers also had consultations with theologians.”
Pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act, the State Department is required to prepare this annual report on religious freedom conditions.
Per Department officials, studies have shown that governments that safeguard religious freedom are more stable, economically vibrant and peaceful than those that don’t, “and they’re also better partners of the United States.”
“Conversely, those that don’t protect religious freedom can foster radicalization and violent extremism, undermine economic development and threaten social cohesion and political stability. And as such, we promote respect for religious freedom not just because it is a cherished American value but also because it’s a national security imperative,”- Nadel told reporters.
19 May
Families of persons accused of membership of illegal groups in Syria protest
Family members of a group of persons accused of participating in illegal armed groups in Syria on May 19 tried to hold a protest in front of the building of the Presidential Administration. The protesters are protesting against the charges against their children. The police did not allow the action and the participants were removed from the territory by buses.
One of the protesters said their children were tricked into being taken to Syria.
The mother of the detained person, Marifa Mardanova, said that his son was fraudulently taken to Syria in 2013. After two months in Syria, Marif returned voluntarily, and was arrested in Azerbaijan, she said.
Another protester said that they had repeatedly sent their protest to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Presidential Administration and the Ombudsman, but there was no result.
“Our children were taken to Syria under the pretext of work. President Ilham Aliyev said in 2013 that if those who left for Syria voluntarily return back, they would not be arrested. However, they were arrested immediately upon arrival in Azerbaijan.”
Employees of the former Ministry of National Security detained 26 citizens of Azerbaijan on September 23, 2014. They were charged under the Articles 12.1 (Application of the Azerbaijani law for crimes committed outside Azerbaijan), 279.1 (Creation of armed formations not provided for by Azerbaijani legislation) and 170.3 (Criminal proceedings against persons under the age of majority) of the Criminal Code.
The indictment states that the accused Vilayat Hasanli, Malik Musayev, Vasif Hajiyev, Ilkin Babazade, Mehman Balakishiyev, Ruslan Mustafayev, Namiq Mammadov, Farid Muradov, Tural Hasanov, Elvin Aliyev, Tariyel Mustafayev, Azerami Gambarov, Vusal Qambarov, Nijat Abbasov, Huseyn Mammadov, Ruslan Jafarov, Sanan Bakhishov, Eldost Quliyev, Mamedshah Mammadaliyev, Ahmed Hasanov and Maarif Mardanov from 2013 to 2014 at different times in Syria participated in the armed forces not provided for by the legislation of Syria and Azerbaijan.
According to the verdict, Vugar Dursunaliyev was sentenced to 15 years, his son Elvin to 4 years, Malik Musayev and Azer Qambarov to 13 years and 6 months each, other accused persons to 14 years in prison.
24 May
Family members of the defendants in the Ganja case held a protest action
Relatives and friends of the defendants in the Ganja case held a protest rally in front of the Presidential Administration building on May 14. The police intervened in the course of the action, pushing the participants away from the building. There were no detainees. The protesters held up portraits of their children, resulting in a standoff with the police.
On 3 July 2018, an attempt was made on the then head of the executive power of the city of Ganja, Elmar Valiyev. A resident of Ganja, Yunis Safarov, wounded him and his bodyguard.
After that, a protest action was scheduled for July 10 in front of the Ganja administration building. On the same day, riots broke out in the city, during which two policemen were killed. This was followed by mass arrests of believers and others.
According to these events, a criminal case was opened against 70 people. The accused received from 6 to 18 years in prison. About 10 people were paroled.
The trial of Yunis Safarov and 11 others began in January 2020.
25 May
Relatives and friends of the “Ganja prisoners” held an act of protest in front of the EU office in Baku
On May 25, a group of family members of those arrested in the “Ganja case” held an act of protest in front of the EU Representative Office in Baku. Participants of the action held placards with words ” Freedom to the Ganja prisoners!”, ” End to false accusations!”.
The participants of the action voiced a demand for the release of the relatives under arrest.
“For several years now, we have been traveling along the Ganja-Baku road. Our children are innocent. For this reason, we want justice in the courts and the acquittal of our children,” said an action participant.
Another participant of the action said that the government and law enforcement agencies, though hearing their demands, decline from complying with them.
“We would like the Azerbaijani courts to make fair decisions, so that the false accusations stop. But, the courts make no fair decisions. For this reason, we are forced to contact international organizations. We want to achieve fair decisions in the courts of our country with the help of international organizations, ” he said.
On July 3, 2018, an attempt was made on the then head of the executive power of the city of Ganja, Elmar Valiyev. A resident of Ganja, Yunis Safarov, wounded him and his bodyguard.
After that, a protest action was scheduled for July 10 in front of the Ganja administration building. On that day, there were riots in the city, during which two high-ranking police officers were killed. This was followed by mass arrests of believers and other persons.
According to these events, a criminal case was opened against 70 people. The accused were sentenced 6 to 18 years of imprisonment. About 10 people were paroled.
The trial of Yunis Safarov and 11 others began in January 2020.
27 May
20 Azerbaijani citizens returned from Syria – women and children
On May 27, 20 Azerbaijani citizens were repatriated to Azerbaijan from Syria – six women and 14 children who were detained in a camp in the city of Jerablus, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
This became possible as a result of measures taken by the government of the country and government agencies of Turkey, where these persons were taken from Syria.
The Azerbaijani government plans to take all necessary measures for the reintegration and rehabilitation of relevant persons and will continue measures to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, reads the report.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan for 2018, 1,477 people (1,136 men and 341 women) went to Syria and Iraq from Azerbaijan to join terrorist organizations. Of these, 903 people (749 men and 154 women) are considered dead or missing.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 309 people (261 men and 48 women) returned to the country (these are mainly people from Sumgayit, Qusar, Balakan and Zaqatala).
The report also says that 24 Azerbaijani children, who were still in the conflict zones and lost their parents, were also returned.
According to some reports, 270 Azerbaijani children who have lost one or both parents are in detention centers in Syria and Iraq.