Azerbaijani theologian Babaev accused of treason

Sardar Babaev, a Shiite theologian and a member of the public association "Spiritual Workers of Azerbaijan", has been arrested for four months and charged with treason. The relatives of the other four detained members and supporters of the association are unaware of their fate.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 19, Haji Ilgar Ibragimoglu, the head of the website deyerler.org, was detained. According to human rights defenders, the interest of law enforcers in Ibragimoglu may have to do with the start of repressions against religious figures amid the aggravation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. After being questioned as a witness, he was released. The following members and supporters of the above public association were also detained: Sardar Babaev, Gadir Mamedov, Djalal Shafiev, Ali Musaev and Tamkin Djafarov. All of them collaborated with the maide.az website.

Sardar Babaev is under threat of 12-20 years in prison, or life imprisonment, said Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Committee for the Protection of Islamists' Rights.

"I can't trust the charges. In our country, religious figures are often accused under this article, imputing cooperation with Iran. Then, these cases collapse at trial. Natig Kerimov, a Nardaran's elder, the leader of Ilham Aliev's Islamic Party, was arrested on this charge," Ms Abdulla has added.

In May 2021, Aliev was sentenced to 16 years in prison on treason charges.