Editor of a religious web-site Araz Guliev arrested in Azerbaijan

Araz Guliev, Editor-in-Chief of xeber44.com online religious media functioning in the South of the country, was arrested in Azerbaijan. Upon a verdict of Masally district court dated September, 10, Guliev was arrested for a two-months term. He is accused of hooliganism committed by o group of persons, the Institute of Freedom and Safety of Reporters referring to the arrested man's brother Azer Guliev reports.

Araz Guliev was arrested yet on September, 8, during an action of protest of believers at a folk festival organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the town of Masally.

According to his brother, a group of believers expressed protest against a performance of half-naked girl dancers at a discotheque arranged for the guests of the festival. "They only called for respectful attitude towards national traditions and mentality. My brother was present there in connection with his journalist's duties, to report the event. But they were all detained and accused of hooliganism which they never committed", Azer Guliev said.

In his opinion, Araz Guliev was arrested "just in connection with his journalist's activities, for covering the believers' protest against prohibition of wearing hijabs at school and criticizing negative trends in the district".

According to Azer Guliev, while Araz Guliev and other detainees were kept in Masally police department their state of health became worse because of physical pressure and the police called the ambulance twice.

Azer Guliev who is currently kept in the investigative isolation ward in Kuirdakha has no attorney, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs of Azerbaijan confirmed the arrest of Araz Guliev and one more believer, Rza Agaly. According to the police, they tried to frustrate the action connected with the folk festival. As a result, two residents of the district and a policeman got injured, the window glasses of a service vehicle were broken, the Ministry reported.

Meanwhile, web-site xeber44.com informs that besides Araz Gulies and Rza Agaly, residents of Masalla Viusal Guliev, Ziya Takhirov, Khalid Kazymov and Suraj Agaev were also arrested.