Azerbaijanis of Iran plan new actions

As the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been informed at the Baku office of the Movement for National Emergence of Southern Azerbaijan (MNESA), mass arrests of participants in the actions of protest continue in South Azerbaijan. However, according to the MNESA, despite this, Azerbaijanis in Iran are planning new actions. It also reports that, as a result of actions of Iranian power authorities against urban residents of South Azerbaijan, 50 people have been killed, 600 wounded and more than 400 arrested. However, Afshar Suleimani, Iranian ambassador in Azerbaijan, has refuted this information and stated that there have been no casualties during the events. Meanwhile, public and political figures of Azerbaijan continue discussing the events in Iran.

For example, during the interview with the "КN" correspondent Sabir Rustamkhanly, leader of the Civil Solidarity Party, has noted that events in Iran demonstrate that the fight of Azerbaijanis is going to gradually expand. He thinks that "the events are not limited to the protest against the caricature alone, these actions demonstrate the protest against permanent humiliation, violation of rights and insults of Azerbaijanis in Iran, and their patience has been exhausted."

Ali Akhmedov, first deputy-chairman of the ruling party "Eni Azerbaijan," thinks that the problems faced by Azerbaijanis in Iran concern everybody but Azerbaijan can not interfere into the affairs of Iran. "I think that, in order to resolve these problems, the Azeri government has an important duty to conduct due negotiations with Iran," notes the representative of the ruling party. Arif Gadjila, deputy-chairman of the party "Musavat," thinks that Azerbaijan should in no way remain indifferent: "Everything which has happened in Tebriz and other towns can not be considered as internal affairs of Iran. Our party will not be indifferent to the problems of Azerbaijanis. We shall in every way support our brethren in South Azerbaijan."

Political scientist Zardusht Alizade holds a different opinion and thinks that the actions of protest in South Azerbaijan are not going to grow into a national movement. Such events as going on in Iran will not yield anything good for Azerbaijanis. "The provocation against Azerbaijanis in Iran has been avoided, as far as I know the newspaper which committed the offence has been closed and the author arrested. Therefore, there are no grounds any more for holding actions of protest. I think that Azerbaijanis in Iran should gradually secure their national rights. There is no need to destroy a state for this," said Z. Alizade.

Notably, despite the attempts of the official Teheran to calm down disturbances among Azerbaijanis in Iran, actions in the north of the country, i.e. in South Azerbaijan, continue. This has been reported by the "Turan" information agency citing Iranian sources. According to the information, new actions of protest are planned for June 10 in Tebriz and Teheran.

Despite the fact that actions of protest in Tebriz are not numerous now, they are held continuously. The actions are connected with the growing number of arrests by power authorities of Iran. According to available information, seven activists of the movement held under arrest in the Tebriz prison have started a hunger strike to protest against arrests. 15 women are being held in the Teheran prison "Evin." Six more activists of the movement are held in the Ardebil prison. The situation in the South Azerbaijan town of Sulduz, controlled by the protestants, has now changed. On May 29 evening the participants of the movement yielded to the authorities. Intensive clashes between the population and special task force have taken place in the settlements of "Amirkhyz," "40 meters," "Abbasi" in Tebriz. Tear-gas has been used against the participants of actions in the towns of Ghermi, Ghilan and Gorgan. Scores of casualties are reported in the town of Bukam.