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Lezghin: Statement By UNPO General Secretary

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  • Lezghin: Statement By UNPO General Secretary

    LEZGHIN: STATEMENT BY UNPO GENERAL SECRETARY

    Brussels, 13 August 2013

    UNPO General Secretary Marino Busdachin urges the authorities of
    Azerbaijan to abide by international standards and release prisoners
    from the Lezghin community recently arrested on highly questionable
    charges.

    The Lezghin people are an ethnic group residing predominantly in
    Dagestan and Azerbaijan, lacking a legal status which would secure
    their rights as a distinct historical community and nation in the
    territory of their traditional residence.

    All of the three prisoners arrested are related to Federal Lezghin
    National and Cultural Autonomy (FLNKA) officials, suggesting the
    apprehensions are part of Azerbaijan's political agenda to silence
    pro-Lezghin activities. This is in light of Azerbaijan's presidential
    election scheduled in October, which will almost guarantee the
    re-election of President Aliyev, whose family has been in power since
    the 1960s.

    Eldar Mamedov, who is an Azeri citizen, was arrested in the town of
    Oguz on 28 July 2013. He was seized by men in plainclothes without
    warning and explanation. Later, authorities stated they "discovered
    drugs" belonging to the detainee and he was subsequently accused
    of possession of illegal substances. Mr Mamedov is a respected
    businessman who has no history dealing with drugs, while the Azeri
    authorities often employ this tactic of drug planting in order to
    arrest political dissidents. Therefore, the claims made by the Azeri
    authorities should be challenged.

    Similarly, Javid Babaev, a Russian citizen and nephew of the FLNKA
    president, Mr. Arif Kerimov, was detained by the Azeri Department for
    Fighting Extremism on 6 August 2013 as he and his family were visiting
    his parents in Baku. Drugs were reportedly planted in his possession
    which led to charged being pressed. In this process, the Azeri
    authorities have neglected Mr Babaev's rights as a foreign national,
    as they failed to notify Russian authorities of their actions.

    On 9 August 2013, Tariel Sarkarov, who is the brother of FLNKA
    Executive Direction Amil Sarkarov, was arrested when he travelled
    from his native Russia to Azerbaijan to visit relatives. He has been
    detained due to the accusation that his brother is "undertaking
    anti-Azerbiajan activities," and has been held in custody without
    the ability to contact his relatives.

    FLNKA President Arif Kerimov cut short his travels to Europe in order
    to address the problem, stating that "peoples' rights protection
    unfortunately cannot do without victims."

    UNPO urges the Azeri authorities to cease the arbitrary arrests and
    imprisonment of Lezghin individuals and their families, as such actions
    are threatening the principles of democracy and self-determination.

    - See more at:
    http://www.unpo.org/article/16277#sthash.YXwtaNbV.pfgTItJ8.dpuf

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