Politics 14:50 12/11/2015

Azerbaijan catches Islamists inside country, Turkey detains several Azerbaijani families intending to join IS

Fourteen Azerbaijani citizens were detained in Turkey for their intention to join the IS, Turkish media report, according to Trend news agency.

During a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the Turkish police in Adana, 38 foreigners were detained, including 14 Azerbaijani citizens. They intended to go to Syria through Turkey to join the terrorist group IS. Besides the Azerbaijani citizens, there were 7 Indonesian, 5 Iraqi, 5 Kyrgyzstani, 2 Tajikistani, 1 Iranian and 1 Afghanistan citizens among the detainees. There were 10 women and 15 children in the group.   

Citing the Turkish website Cumhuriyyet.com.tr, Azerbaijani news agency Turan reports that the police also detained “Emir of Istanbul,” a high-ranking representative of the IS. He is an Azerbaijani citizen, Abdulla Abdullayev, responsible for taking volunteers to Syria.

Russian political analyst Sergei Markedonov writes for the Russian International Affairs Council that the ethnic Azerbaijani Abdulla Abdullayev (detained during a special operation by the Turkish secret services) used to be one of the most influential recruiters for IS, who had organised Caucasian jihadists’ transit through Turkey to the Middle East until July 2015. “Jihadists of Azerbaijani origin have been fighting for some years in the ranks of various terrorist groups in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In early 2015, information emerged about the death of 100 IS insurgents of Azerbaijani origin during the armed conflict in Syria, and ten suspected Islamists were arrested by the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan,” the expert highlights.

Markedonov further notes that diplomats from other countries and representatives of power structures of the republic have made reports of their activities as a security risk more than once.

According to a Minval.az report, the Centre for the Protection of Freedom of Conscience and Religion in Azerbaijan (DEVAMM) issued a statement over the Islamophobic processes recently observed in the country. “We believe that attitude demonstrated recently towards the religious leaders and believers is a gross violation of human rights and freedoms. We regard the voiced initiatives to limit freedom of conscience and faith as an attempt to restrict the rights and freedoms stated in the Constitution. We find it wrong to aggravate the situation in our country – which is already in a complicated geopolitical condition – by creating an artificial tension. We further urge to prevent the reduction of the democratic potential to minimum level,” DEVAMM said.

Azerbaijani website SalamNews cites Maide.az reporting that the Council of Religious Leaders of Azerbaijan (ARM) released a statement, too, condemning the pressure exerted on believers and the arrests of some of them in Sabunchi settlement. “ARM strongly condemns the pressure recently exerted on the believers in the country. We regard the religious leader Elchin Gasimov and believers’ arrest as a demonstration of cruelness against the citizens,” the Council stressed.

Haqqin.az reports that another statement was made by the “Movement of Muslims’ Unity,” whose members had taken part in a protest in front of Sabunchi district police. In the statement, the movement condemns the “biased campaign against the organisation” and highlights that its activities strictly respect the Azerbaijani laws; it adds that it has no ties with any other country. “We are concerned about the lack of justice and respect for human rights, as well as the existing political discrimination in the country. The Constitution of the country allows us to criticise the lawlessness in the country and the dishonest officials. We are neither radical, nor illegal organisation,” the movement said in the statement also expressing readiness to cooperate with all the human rights organisations.

Earlier, there were reports about hundreds of Islamists’ protest in front of Bakikhanov settlement police station, Sabunchi district. They protested against the detention of the chairman of the “Movement of Muslims’ Unity,” Elchin Gasimli, and other Islamists after prayer in a Baku mosque. Gasimli was detained because of his speech in a mosque in Nardaran settlement where he sharply criticised Tale Bagirzade’s beating in Yasamal police, Baku, on 3 November. 



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

15:07
Armenian-Russian relations 'in agony', expert says
Hayk Khalatyan, a political analyst at the Verelq Information and Analytical Center, on Saturday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his...
14:32
Powerful Israeli airstrike kills 11 people in central Beirut
A powerful airstrike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Saturday, the Lebanese civil defence said, shaking the capital as Israel pressed its...
14:15
Expert: Armenian-Azeri talks somewhat stalled
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan claims the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks have somewhat stalled amid the change of government in the United...
13:33
Temperatures set to plunge next week
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country next week....
13:06
Magnitude 4․3 quake hits Azerbaijan, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4․3 earthquake struck Azerbaijan on Saturday afternoon. The quake was recorded 42 km northeast of the town of Goris in...
12:35
Opposition MP slams Pashinyan's Western Armenia remarks
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Levon Kocharyan has blasted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks on Western Armenia and Baku’s fake...
12:00
MP Hovik Aghazaryan says decided on his parliament seat
MP Hovik Aghazaryan of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has made a decision on his parliament seat. The deputy has told the media...
11:36
US lawmakers request classified briefing on Turkey’s ties to Hamas
More than three dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to offer a classified briefing on...
11:15
Armenia's Mushegh Mkrtchyan wins bronze at World Military Wrestling Championships
Armenian serviceman Mushegh Mkrtchyan (92 kg) has clinched a bronze medal at the 37th CISM World Military Wrestling Championships in Yerevan,...
11:00
Switzerland bans exports to Polish firm after Swiss-made ammunition ends up in Ukraine
The Swiss government said Friday it is barring exports to a Polish military hardware supplier after concluding that some 645,000 rounds of...
17:12
Armenia to face Georgia in Nations League play-off
The 2024/25 UEFA Nations League knockout stage and play-off ties have been confirmed following the draw in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday....
16:36
Hayk Marutyan agrees to debate with Tigran Avinyan
New Power party leader Hayk Marutyan has agreed to a TV debate with incumbent Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan. Marutyan, a former Yerevan...
15:45
Opposition politician: Pashinyan leading Armenia to 'final collapse'
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration is leading Armenia to the “final collapse” and Turkification, opposition...
15:05
Caretaker deputy justice minister sacked
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed a decree to dismiss Armenuhi Harutyunyan as Acting Deputy Minister of Justice....
14:35
Armenian parliament speaker confirms MP's resignation
National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has issued a statement on the resignation of Narek Zeynalyan as an MP from Armenia’s ruling Civil...
14:06
Visa restricts media access to key event in Yerevan
Visa has restricted the media access to the Cashless Forum 2024 to be held in Yerevan for the first time on November 22. Only...
13:36
Orban says he will invite Netanyahu to Hungary after ICC warrant
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee...
13:11
Temps to plummet in Armenia
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions on Friday and over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country...
12:32
Alexis Ohanian showcases rare Armenian coin
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has showcased a rare Armenian coin from 95 BC featuring Tigranes the Great, a famous Armenian king....
12:16
German foreign minister criticizes Azerbaijan's human rights record
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the human rights record of Azerbaijan during her first appearance at the UN Climate Change...
12:06
Minister shares new images captured by Armenia's first satellite
Armenia's Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has shared new satellite images from orbit captured by ARMSAT-1,...
11:36
World Cadet Chess Championship passes its halfway mark
The 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship has passed its halfway mark in Montesilvano, Italy. After 6 rounds, in the Open 12 category CM...
11:15
Iran to launch 'new and advanced centrifuges' in response to IAEA censure
Iran said Friday it would launch a series of "new and advanced" centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the IAEA that...
11:00
Armenian, Iranian foreign ministers hold phone call
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi....
17:07
Winter military draft starts in Armenia on November 25
The winter conscription for compulsory military service starts in Armenia on November 25 to run through January 31, 2025. The...
16:45
Russian spokeswoman told not to comment on ballistic missile strike live on air
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova received a phone call during a live press briefing on Thursday telling her not to...
16:33
Belgian politicians call for immediate release of all Armenian prisoners held in Baku
In the backdrop of the COP29 currently taking place in Baku 20 members of the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon...
16:06
Armenia thwarts large-scale drug smuggling attempt
Officers of Armenia’s State Revenue Committee (SRC) have foiled an attempt to smuggle some 1,600 grams of cocaine into the country as part...
15:33
Armenian government reduces financial aid for Artsakh refugees
The Armenian government on Thursday approved a decision to reduce financial aid for the displaced Artsakh Armenians. Starting from...
14:45
Percival Everett wins National Book Award
Percival Everett has won the $10,000 National Book Award for fiction, one of the US’s most prestigious literary prizes, for James, his...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}