ISIL supporters returning from Syria contribute to spread of radical ideas in Azerbaijan, experts assert

Participation of Azerbaijani citizens in hostilities in Syria in the ranks of the ISIL recognized as a terrorist organization can contribute to the import into Azerbaijan of radical ideas and increase in the number of their supporters. This opinion has been expressed by experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". To combat the above threat, the experts suggest the Azerbaijani authorities to promote democracy in the country and support the international anti-terrorist coalition.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 7, the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Azerbaijan announced the arrest of ten suspected participants of the hostilities in Syria. The suspects were charged with the creation of illegal armed formations (IAFs) and participation in them.

Militants use their finished networks to recruit radical Azerbaijani citizens for participation in the hostilities in Syria and other countries. This opinion has been expressed by Khikmet Gadjizade, the head of the FAR CENTRE for Political and Economic Studies.

"Some people really go to fight for their faith. Others believe the promises (and want) to earn good money," he has noted.

According to the head of the FAR CENTRE, in Azerbaijan, the religious sentiments, including the radical wing, began to become more popular in the 2000s against the background of substitution of the secular opposition.

Tofiq Tyurkel, an expert of the "Turan" agency, reports with reference on media that more than 100 citizens of Azerbaijan were killed in the combat actions in Syria.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.