The Islamic Ummah World Assembly offers congratulations on the release of Azerbaijani cleric from prison

In a statement, The Islamic Ummah World Assembly offered its congratulations on the release of Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, an Azerbaijani Shi’ah cleric, from prison and said supporting the oppressed Shi’ahs of this country is a collective obligation.

News ID: 449236

Date: 23 February 2020 - 19:02

RNA – Today, in a statement on the release of Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, a member of the Assembly of Clerics of the Republic of Azerbaijan and editor-in-chief of the site Maide.az, The Islamic Ummah World Assembly offered its congratulations to the Shi’ahs and people of Azerbaijan.

The message states, “The Azerbaijani authorities must end its oppression and respect the rights of its citizens to freedom of expression and freedom of religion in accordance with international law.”

It stated, “History has proven that oppression will never be sustained and that the oppressors will soon be destroyed.”

The Islamic World Ummah Assembly’s statement reads, “The arrest, trial and accusation of prominent Azerbaijani scholars and Shi’ahs doesn’t prevent the voice of authentic Islam from reaching the people of this country. Islam is alive and will live in the heart of every Azerbaijani person.”

This assembly calls on all freedom-seekers, scholars and the Islamic Seminarians in the holy cities of Najaf and Qom not to remain silent regarding the oppression against the Shi’ah people of Azerbaijan. Protecting the Islamic ummah is a duty and a collective obligation upon every Muslim.

It is worth noting that Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, a prominent clergyman in the Republic of Azerbaijan, was arrested in the city of Masalli on a charge of holding Friday prayers with hundreds of prayers. He was arrested on February 22, 2017 and was sentenced to imprisonment on July 3, 2017 in the Masalli courthouse.

In a recent court hearing presided over by Judge Gulzar Rzayeva, Shaykh Babayev stressed that he was innocent and his imprisonment was unlawful, he said, “None of my lawyers’ defences have been accepted since my detention. At the time of my examination, I asked the reason for my detention and imprisonment. They told me that I was imprisoned for leading Friday prayers and my Friday prayer sermons.”

He added, “Like previously, I have no particular expectation from the court because I still don’t understand the reason for my imprisonment. Sometimes it’s stated that my imprisonment was due to leading Friday prayers, sometimes it was due to my sermons and sometimes it was due to my studies abroad. Without doubt, if I was promoting idolatry, disbelief in God and immorality, you would not have imprisoned me.”

Shaykh Babayev didn’t condemn the investigation and the court process according to legal standards and said, “Imagine that the testimonies of the witnesses in the court don’t match but the court not only disregards them and even directs them.”

The Islamic Ummah World Assembly offered congratulations on the release of Azerbaijani cleric from prison

In a statement, the Islamic World Ummah Assembly offered its congratulations on the release of Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, an Azerbaijani Shi’ah cleric, from prison and said supporting the oppressed Shi’ahs of this country is a collective obligation.

RNA – Today, in a statement on the release of Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, a member of the Assembly of Clerics of the Republic of Azerbaijan and editor-in-chief of the site Maide.az, the Islamic Ummah World Assembly offered its congratulations to the Shi’ahs and people of Azerbaijan.

The message states, “The Azerbaijani authorities must end its oppression and respect the rights of its citizens to freedom of expression and freedom of religion in accordance with international law.”

It stated, “History has proven that oppression will never be sustained and that the oppressors will soon be destroyed.”

The Islamic Ummah World Assembly’s statement reads, “The arrest, trial and accusation of prominent Azerbaijani scholars and Shi’ahs doesn’t prevent the voice of authentic Islam from reaching the people of this country. Islam is alive and will live in the heart of every Azerbaijani person.”

This assembly calls on all freedom-seekers, scholars and the Islamic Seminarians in the holy cities of Najaf and Qom not to remain silent regarding the oppression against the Shi’ah people of Azerbaijan. Protecting the Islamic ummah is a duty and a collective obligation upon every Muslim.

It is worth noting that Shaykh Sardar Hacihasanli Babayev, a prominent clergyman in the Republic of Azerbaijan, was arrested in the city of Masalli on a charge of holding Friday prayers with hundreds of prayers. He was arrested on February 22, 2017 and was sentenced to imprisonment on July 3, 2017 in the Masalli courthouse.

In a recent court hearing presided over by Judge Gulzar Rzayeva, Shaykh Babayev stressed that he was innocent and his imprisonment was unlawful, he said, “None of my lawyers’ defences have been accepted since my detention. At the time of my examination, I asked the reason for my detention and imprisonment. They told me that I was imprisoned for leading Friday prayers and my Friday prayer sermons.”

He added, “Like previously, I have no particular expectation from the court because I still don’t understand the reason for my imprisonment. Sometimes it’s stated that my imprisonment was due to leading Friday prayers, sometimes it was due to my sermons and sometimes it was due to my studies abroad. Without doubt, if I was promoting idolatry, disbelief in God and immorality, you would not have imprisoned me.”

Shaykh Babayev didn’t condemn the investigation and the court process according to legal standards and said, “Imagine that the testimonies of the witnesses in the court don’t match but the court not only disregards them and even directs them.”

Rasa News Agency

112/976