Iranian authorities close down Azeri magazine “for promoting separatism”

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
15 Sep 05

[Presenter] Pressure on our compatriots in Iran is continuing. The
registration of the Araz magazine, which belongs to ethnic Azeris, has
been cancelled.

[Passage omitted: Armenians’ rights are not violated in Iran]

[Correspondent over video of people in the streets of Tabriz] The Araz
magazine was closed down for publishing the map of Azerbaijan on its
cover. The magazine was designated for Azeri students of the new
Azerbaijani language faculty at Tabriz University.

The Azerbaijani ambassador to Iran, Abbasali Hasanov, has also
confirmed this fact. However, the ambassador said that Baku cannot
interfere in Iran’s internal affairs even though it is an unpleasant
incident.

Huseyn Turkelli, head of the Baku bureau of the National Liberation
Movement of Southern Azerbaijan [NRMSA], does not think so.

[Turkelli by phone] Human rights are not an internal affair of any
country. We are fighting for the rights of 30m Azeri Turks. The
registration of the Araz magazine was cancelled at Tabriz University
several days ago. The registration of the Elci magazine was cancelled
as well. The magazines are accused of promoting separatism.

[Correspondent] Armenian separatists feel comfortable in Iran. Our
compatriots from the south [meaning northern Iran] say that Armenians
will hold sporting events in Iran in two days’ time. Along with
numerous countries, teams from the Nagornyy Karabakh republic will
also take part in the contest.

[Turkelli] The Ararat sports club will hold an Olympic contest of
world Armenians in Tehran. Iran’s official state news agency has
reported that teams from Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Nagornyy Karabakh
will take part in the contest. Millions of dollars have been allocated
for the games.

[Passage omitted: The Iranian embassy says that it has no information
about this]

[The chairman of the World Azerbaijani Congress, Cavad Deraxti, told a
news conference in Baku on 14 September that 25 ethnic Azeris have
been arrested in Iran for staging a march to Fort Bazz and added that
members of the organization demand that Iran release the detainees as
soon as possible.]