BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 19 - Azerbaijan has placed seven more people living or working in Turkey on an international wanted list after charging them over alleged calls for the violent seizure of power and the incitement of religious hatred, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
The seven were formally charged on Oct. 19, and Baku’s Binagadi District Court ordered their detention in absentia, according to the prosecutor’s statement, also reported by Report and APA. APA’s current report is available here.
Who Was Named
Prosecutors identified the seven as:
- Rıdvan Kaya, a contributor to Haksöz magazine and Haksöz Haber;
- Zekeriya Ceran, known as Abdullah İmamoğlu, a writer for Köklü Değişim and a presenter on Değişim TV;
- Fatih Tezcan, founder of Analiz Merkezi;
- Ahmet Şanlı, head of a law office;
- Researcher Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral;
- Abdurrahman Tumer, owner of a Facebook profile bearing that name;
- Alparslan Tanrıkulu, a moderator and athlete.
Investigators allege that the seven distributed social-media material between Sept. 25 and Oct. 18 calling for the violent overthrow of the government and inciting religious hatred. Prosecutors said the material went beyond criticism of the authorities or the expression of religious views and contained calls for violence.
The statement also cited remarks Kaya allegedly made outside Azerbaijan’s consulate general in Istanbul on Oct. 3, as well as speeches by Kaya and Ceran outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara on Oct. 13.
New Step in Investigation Opened Oct. 16
The investigation concerns Criminal Code Articles 281.2, 283.2.1 and 167-3.1, covering repeated public calls for the violent seizure of power or alteration of the constitutional order, incitement of religious hatred involving violence, and materials calling for religious-extremist activity.
The announcement follows the Oct. 16 decision to place Turkish columnist Celal Ciftci on an international wanted list. The latest statement concerns seven additional defendants and new court orders, not a renewed announcement of Ciftci’s wanted status.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities in Turkey and other countries. It did not announce that any of the seven had been detained or extradited. The allegations are those of investigators; the statement did not report any conviction.
Source: Vesti Baku