Activists link arrest of Azerbaijani poet with song about Bagirzade

Elvin Muradov, a religious activist and a poet, has been arrested on charges of illegal arms dealing; his defence has appealed against the arrest. Activists believe that he is being persecuted for his poems and songs dedicated to Talekh Bagirzade, the leader of the "Muslim Unity" movement.

Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Public Committee for the Protection of Arrested Islamists' Rights, said that on March 13, Elvin Muradov (Murvatoglu) went out of his home in Baku to attend the Friday namaz (prayer) in the mosque, after which the telephone communication with him was interrupted, and his relatives did not know where he was.

Only on March 16, an investigator of the Chief Department for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) called Elvin's relatives and said that back on March 14, the Narimanov District Court of Baku ruled to arrest Muradov for three months under the charge against him of illegal arms dealing.

Ms Abdulla, like Muradov's relatives, doubts the veracity of the charge.

"Elvin is a member of the 'Muslim Unity' movement. He is the author of a poem and song about Talekh Bagirzade, about the unreasonableness of his persecution, and his torment for his statements. He has other protest songs that are popular among believers. And now he was arrested," Arzu Abdulla has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 19, 2020 at 10:42 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.