Two high-ranking police officers were stabbed to death in Azerbaijan’s western city of Ganja on July 10. The officers were confronting demonstrators who had gathered outside the local administration headquarters while the incident took place. Then, Police detained 40 demonstrators and dispersed the protest.
On July 11, Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry said that on July 11 that it had detained a first suspect, Farux Qasimov. Another suspect, Rasad Boyukkisiyev, was killed in a special operation in the northwestern city of Shamkir after he had allegedly resisted the arrest, the interior ministry said on July 13. Separately, 9 more people were arrested because of links to the riots in Ganja.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says murder Rasad Boyukkisiyev (left) was killed after he resisted arrest. Another suspect, Farux Qasimov (right), has been detained.
HINT: Ganja is the second largest city of Azerbaijan. Its population is about 750,400. The city is mostly populated by Shia Muslims.
Following the demonstrations, authorities deployed additional units of police and special forces in the city and increased security measures in the area.
Earlier, on July 3, Valiyev, and his bodyguard were injured in an apparent attempt to kill the mayor of Ganja, Elmar Valiyev. The attacker, Unus Safarov was deatined on the site. Besides Safarov, 11 other people were detained over the alleged links to the attack.
Azerbaijani authorities claimed that Safarov is a 35-year-old Russian citizen who got military training in Iran and fought for some “extremist group” in Syria. However, no details were provided. The government also accused some “foreign powers” of attempting to undermine the stability in the country.
However, the opposition has a very differnt version. Emin Milli, a leading opposition figure and the director of Meydan TV, said that people on social media have proclaimed Safarov a “national hero” in thousands of online comments.
Milli wrote in Facebook that the incident “probably” took place because Valiyev “represents this criminal government and was notoriously known for humiliating the citizens that he was supposed to serve.” The opposition figure descrbed the government’s charges against Safarov “absurd” and “propaganda”, which are aimed at undermining a potential popular uprising against corruption and authoritarian rule.
Unauthorized demonstrations on July 10 took place in support of Safarov. The Azerbaijani media described demonstrators as criminal elements and religious radicals.
It’s GANJA city. What did you expect?
I shouldn’t laugh, but…..
This is how most Color Revolutions start, although the new government is generally no different from the last.
A bit of truth in that, in a colour revolution, the new government is always worse than the one it replaces.
BUT,
Republic of Azerbaijan is currently a vassal of the US and Israel, so a colour revolution will NOT happen there. A genuine and popular revolution? Perhaps, as the members of Azerbaijan ruling circle are among the vilest of creatures.
Apparently it looks like an hybrid epiphenomenon ethnic / religious / political discontent. The rioters are of Tat ethnicity, an Iranian speaking Shia minority. Alyev is taking the excuse of islamist minority and Iranian interference to force the West to support his regime, overall the threat is largely imaginary.
If the discontent spread to other ethnic communities such as the Farsi speaking Talyshes in the south, or even worse to the Lezguis, and more generally to the impoverished rural / urban population this could not only lead to the end of the regime but also potentially to the end of Azerbaijan as we know it.
Though dismentelment of Azerbaijan is an extreme scenario at this stage, its always a possibility considering the country is still in the process of nation building consolidated around their Turkish ethnicity.
Azerbaijan is run by Zionist slave . they always want to blame iran for any protest . even if any government criminal get killed by its own ressitance people they blame iran for this act as terriost. . Azerbaijan election is always a froud same like Jordan and Egypt. Azerbaijan need Tunisia like revolation soon.
Rassad B. died in custody, not during the operation.
Over the years, Azerbaijan became a real circus with a buffoon at his dead. A ridiculous North Korean style state in Caucasus where the Mossad feels at home and run their Iranian operations. 25 years ago, Aliyev Sr invited thousands of proto Al Qaeda members from pakistan and Afghanistan to fight the Armenians who beat the crap out of them. Those who survived used Baku as a hub to strike Russia, with Alyev Sr benediction.
Staggering amount of money vanished in his clan pockets. Like dozens of billions. Official statistics are so faked that they are often subject to jokes. Few days ago, a huge electricity + water cutof paralyzed the whole country for 3 days. No water no purification sustem. People in blocked the metro…. apocalypse scenes…
I foresee a bloody end for Ilham. Mohamar Ghadaffi style. Stabbed to death by his people under one of his father gigantic statue, under the shadow of his only legacy, 3 towers.