Persecution of Shia Believers Continues in Azerbaijan

The persecution of Shia believers continues in Azerbaijan, according to media reports.

Five more individuals have been arrested on fabricated charges. Huseyn Osmanov, Eldeniz Guliyev, Elhanar Ibrahimov, Khayala Abbasova, and Elmir Mamedov are accused of having "connections with Iranian drug dealers" as well as of illegal drug trafficking.

Azerbaijan has altered its tactics for persecuting Shia individuals, changing the formal reason for arrests. Now individuals are taken into custody not for “spying for Iran,” but for illegal drug circulation, while the arrested persons' connections to Iran are consistently emphasized.