Five believers detained in Azerbaijan

Law enforcers have detained five members and supporters of the public association entitled "Spiritual Figures of Azerbaijan". The believers' houses and apartments were searched; their PCs and mobile phones were seized.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 19, law enforcers detained Haji Ilgar Ibragimoglu, a Shiite theologian, the head of the website deyerler.org. According to human rights defenders, the law enforcers' interest in Ibragimoglu may have to do with the beginning of repressions against religious figures amid the aggravation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations.

The following members and supporters of the public association "Spiritual Figures of Azerbaijan" have been detained in Azerbaijan: Sardar Babaev, Gadir Mamedov, Djalal Shafiev, Ali Musaev and Tamkin Djafarov. All of them had collaborated with the website maide.az, said Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Committee for the Protection of Islamists' Rights.

"There is a misconception in Azerbaijan that those who had been educated in Iran are 'agents' of this country. In fact, in Southern Azerbaijan, because of poverty, many residents cannot give higher education to their children and are forced to send them to study at religious centres of Iran. For example, Sardar Babaev studied in Qom," Ms Abdullah has noted.