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OFFICIALS SLAM AZERBAIJANIS FIGHTING IN SYRIA, CALL FOR TOUGHER MEASURES
ANS TV (in Azeri), Azerbaijan
Feb 3 2014
Azerbaijani MPs and deputy prime minister have strongly criticized
their countrymen fighting on the side of extremist Sunni groups in
Syria, privately-owned ANS TV has reported.
At a parliament session held on 3 February, MP Zahid Oruc said that
Azerbaijani nationals fighting against the Syrian government inside
the terrorist groups "destroy Azerbaijan's reputation, and we cannot
be indifferent to this issue".
"Criminal cases should be opened for those who are fighting there
[in Syria]", he added.
Other MP, Qanira Pasayeva, urged the Azerbaijani government to strongly
deal with those who are attracting the Azerbaijani youth to fight in
Syria, and those who promote radical sects in the country.
In his turn, MP Fuad Muradov spoke about websites calling Azerbaijani
nationals to fight in Syria, and added that "There is a page on
Facebook that clearly conducts propaganda, and it make calls for
fighting", and he proposed that such websites and groups must be
banned.
Parliament Speaker Oqtay Asadov said that parliament will prevent
the propaganda on internet, and added: "We should review the issues
related to internet websites that clearly call for terrorism"
Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov also criticized the involvement
of young Azerbaijani people in the fight in Syria, and said that
these people should think about the liberation of Karabakh instead
of fighting in Syria, APA news agency reported.
BBCM note: Nearly 100 Azerbaijanis have reportedly been killed
while fighting Syrian government forces. A total of several hundred
Azerbaijani nationals are reportedly fighting in the ongoing civil war
in Syria. The majority of them are said to be fighting on the side of
extremist Sunni groups and hail from Azerbaijan's north-west which is
mainly populated by ethnic minorities with ties to Russia's Dagestan.
[Translated from Azeri]
ANS TV (in Azeri), Azerbaijan
Feb 3 2014
Azerbaijani MPs and deputy prime minister have strongly criticized
their countrymen fighting on the side of extremist Sunni groups in
Syria, privately-owned ANS TV has reported.
At a parliament session held on 3 February, MP Zahid Oruc said that
Azerbaijani nationals fighting against the Syrian government inside
the terrorist groups "destroy Azerbaijan's reputation, and we cannot
be indifferent to this issue".
"Criminal cases should be opened for those who are fighting there
[in Syria]", he added.
Other MP, Qanira Pasayeva, urged the Azerbaijani government to strongly
deal with those who are attracting the Azerbaijani youth to fight in
Syria, and those who promote radical sects in the country.
In his turn, MP Fuad Muradov spoke about websites calling Azerbaijani
nationals to fight in Syria, and added that "There is a page on
Facebook that clearly conducts propaganda, and it make calls for
fighting", and he proposed that such websites and groups must be
banned.
Parliament Speaker Oqtay Asadov said that parliament will prevent
the propaganda on internet, and added: "We should review the issues
related to internet websites that clearly call for terrorism"
Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov also criticized the involvement
of young Azerbaijani people in the fight in Syria, and said that
these people should think about the liberation of Karabakh instead
of fighting in Syria, APA news agency reported.
BBCM note: Nearly 100 Azerbaijanis have reportedly been killed
while fighting Syrian government forces. A total of several hundred
Azerbaijani nationals are reportedly fighting in the ongoing civil war
in Syria. The majority of them are said to be fighting on the side of
extremist Sunni groups and hail from Azerbaijan's north-west which is
mainly populated by ethnic minorities with ties to Russia's Dagestan.
[Translated from Azeri]