Arrested Azeri youth leader’s father complains of persecution

Turan news agency
8 Aug 05

BAKU

“Everything being said about Ruslan Basirli is a lie and slander,”
says Calil Basirli, father of the arrested leader of the Yeni Fikir [
New Thought] youth movement, Ruslan Basirli.

At a news conference on Saturday [6 August], he said a provocation had
been staged against his son. The footage shown on television is a
montage. The purpose of all this is to discredit the opposition youth
movement in Azerbaijan.

Calil Basirli dismissed the pro-government media reports suggesting
that his son had allegedly evaded military service.

“My son served his duty in the zone of military action
[Azerbaijani-Armenian contact line]. In fact, he volunteered for the
service and retired into the reserve in the rank of a senior
lieutenant,” his father said.

Calil Basirli added that other members of the family had come under
persecution after Ruslan’s arrest. For instance, their house in Zardab
District [central Azerbaijan] had been stoned at the behest of local
officials.

It is curious that Calil Basirli himself is a member of the ruling
party. He said he was against his son’s engaging in politics. He also
dismissed rumours that the family was related to the PFAP [People’s
Front of Azerbaijan Party] leader, Ali Karimli.