The International League for Human Rights (ILHR), a non-governmental human rights organization based in New York and in special consultative status with UN ECOSOC, expresses serious concern about the recent detention of religious freedom activist and imam of the Muslim community in Baku Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, who also serves as a director of Center for Defense of Freedom of Conscience and Belief in Azerbaijan. (28-OCT-2004)

The New-York based ILHR sent a letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, while the copy of the letter was sent to US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish. The letter reads: 

 

October 22, 2004


Dear Mr. Aliyev:

The International League for Human Rights, a non-governmental human rights organization based in New York and in special consultative status with UN ECOSOC, expresses serious concern about the recent detention of religious freedom activist and imam of the Muslim community in Baku Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, who also serves as a director of Center for Defense of Freedom of Conscience and Belief in Azerbaijan.

Mr. Ibrahimoglu was detained on October 13, 2004 and was thus unable to attend the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting to which he was invited by the League and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Mr. Ibrahimoglu was not presented with any explanations. This is a third time Mr. Ibrahimoglu was prevented by customs officials from leaving Azerbaijan since he was ousted in June from the Juma mosque in Baku.

The League is deeply concerned with the prevention of Ibrahimoglu’s participation in the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation meeting, at which he was expected to take part in a timely briefing on the fundamental freedoms of conscience, belief and movement. We are further concerned about the obstructive policies against three thousand members of the Juma mosque community who are deprived of their right to freedom of belief and assembly and have not been able to pray together.

The League calls for the immediate cessation of the unlawful detentions and infringements of Mr. Ibrahimoglu’s right to freedom of movement as guaranteed by the 1995 constitution of Azerbaijan. We further urge you to ensure Mr. Ibrahimoglu’s ability to continue his work as imam of the Muslim community in Baku.

Thank you for your attention. We await your response.

Sincerely,

Louise Kantrow
Executive Director International League for Human Rights

CC: Ambassador Reno Harnish
U.S. Embassy
FAX: +994-12-98-37-55