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Azerbaijanâ€™s National Security Ministry arrests a number of people accused of fighting under ISIL and other armed groups

23 September 2014 11:21 (UTC +04:00)

26 Azerbaijani citizens – Yusifov Firdovsi Soltan oghlu, Soltanov Taleh Azizagha oghlu, Hasanli Vilayet Alasdan oghlu, Musayev Malik Elchin oghlu, Hajiyev Vasif Ordukhan oghlu, Babazadeh Ilkin Aydin oghlu, Balakishiyev Mehman Pirbala oghlu, Mustafayev Ruslan Azer oghlu, Mammadov Namig Firdovsi oghlu, Muradov Farid Arif oghlu, Hasanov Tural Namig oghlu, Aliyev Elvin Vilayet oghlu, Mustafayev Tapdig Tariyel oghlu, Gambarov Azer Asim oghlu, Bayramov Vusal Gabil oghlu, Hashimov Samir Samid oghlu, Abbasov Nijat Faig oghlu, Mammadov Huseyn Khagani oghlu, Jafarov Ruslan Ilham oghlu, Bakhishov Sanan Ilgar oghlu, Guliyev Eldost Firudin oghlu, Mammadaliyev Mammadshah Aghashah oghlu, Hasanov Ahmed Elkhan oghlu, Mardanov Maarif Irshad oghlu, Dursunaliyev Vugar Ahad oghlu and Gurbanli Elshan Abulfat oghlu were detained over creation of armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, and also participation in their creation and activity, supplying them by weapon, ammunition, explosives, military engineering or military equipment, as well as involving of minor to criminal activity by a person, obliged to bring up a minor and other illegal acts.

The Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of National Security launched criminal cases on the facts under articles #12.1, 279.1 and 170.3 of the Criminal Code. Court sentenced the aforementioned people to pre-trial detention.

It was revealed that Yusifov Firdovsi and Soltanov Taleh fought under the armed groups in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which are not provided by the legislations of Pakistan and Azerbaijan.

Yusifov Firdovsi left for the Islamic Republic of Iran in mid-2011 and illegally passed to Pakistan's Waziristan province. He was appointed as an “emir” of “Taifatul Mansurah” military group under Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP - Taliban Movement of Pakistan) illegal armed formation and operated under this group till August 2013.

Soltanov Taleh also left for Iran, illegally entered Pakistan late in 2012 and fought under “Seyfullah” military group under Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan till August 2013. Soltanov Taleh took his wife and mother-in-law to Pakistan too. They earlier passed from Iran to Pakistan's Waziristan province. Yusifov Firdovsi and Soltanov Taleh got acquainted while fighting under armed groups and decided to join the armed groups fighting in Syria. When they illegally crossed through Pakistan into Iran in August of 2013 for this purpose, they were detained by law enforcement authorities and were handed over to the Republic of Azerbaijan on April 24, 2014. However, Taleh Soltanov’s wife and mother-in-law have crossed into the country with the help of the persons who joined the illegal armed units in Syria and with who they were agreed beforehand. While he was in prison in Iran, Taleh Soltanov had a child in Syria and his family lived in the territories where fierce battles are going on.

Other accused persons – Vilayat Hasanli, Malik Musayev, Vasif Hajiyev, Ilkin Babazada, Mehman Balakishiyev, Ruslan Mustafayev, Namig Mammadov, Farid Muradov, Tural Hasanov, Elvin Aliyev, Tariyel Mustafayev, Azer Gambarov, Vusal Bayramov, Samir Hashimov, Nijat Abbasov, Huseyn Mammadov, Ruslan Jafarov, Senan Bakhishov, Eldost Guliyev, Mammadshah Mammadaliyev, Ahmad Hasanov and Maarif Mardanov have fought in Syria within the armed groups, which are not provided by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Syrian Arab Republic from 2013 to 2014.

Vuqar Dursunaliyev has incited an underage person to commit a violent crime. Thus, Vuqar Dursunaliyev, for his underage son, 15-year-old Elvin Dursunaliyev’s further strengthening his radical religious views, has incited him to join the illegal armed groups in Syria and paying all his transport costs sent him to Syria for him committing violent crimes within the armed groups. 15-year-old Elvin Dursunaliyev has fought in Syria within the armed groups, which are not provided by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Syrian Arab Republic from December 2013 to April 2014.

In order to join illegal armed groups in the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq, Elshan Gurbanli went to the Republic of Turkey in 2014 and then illegally entered Syria with the help of a man aka “Abu Bakr”. He received radical religious and military trainings under the illegal armed groups in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the self-declared capital of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is not provided by the legislations of the republics of Syria, Iraq and Azerbaijan. After the trainings, Gurbanli, on his personal initiative, joined the illegal armed group named “AzÉ™ri camaatÄ±” (Azeri people) led by Amir aka “Khattab”, who is being investigated. Thereafter, Gurbanli and others participated in military operations held by ISIL in the city of Haditha in Iraq’s Anbar Province in August, 2014. 35 militants died and Gurbanli was wounded in an explosion occurred while the armed group was planning an attack during these operations. Gurbanli together with other militants returned to Syria.

Measures are underway to investigate all criminal cases and other perpetrators of these illegal actions.

It is stated once again that the legislation envisages 20-year imprisonment or life imprisonment for persons accused of creating of armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, and also participating in their creation and activity, supplying them by weapon, ammunition, explosives, military engineering or military equipment, terrorism, that is commitment of explosion, arson or other actions creating danger to destruction of people, causing harm to their health, significant property damage or approaches other socially dangerous consequences committed with a view of influencing acceptance of decisions by state authorities and international organizations, as well as involving the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Azerbaijan in armed conflicts outside the country with the view of spreading religious denominations and under the guise of performing religious rites or in combat trainings in this regard.