HRANA News Agency – Ayat Mehrali Baigloo wrote in an open letter to President Hassan Rohani exposed the pressure on his family members which is carried out by the Security Council of Jolfa, and requested for his intervene. Another member of his family described their condition.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Ayat Mehrali Baigloo, political prisoner of Tabriz prison, who is serving his 8 years, disclosed some of the pressures which is put on his family by the Security Council of Jolfa, in an open letter to Hassan Rohani, and asked for his intervention against these unlawful acts.
Ayat Mehrali Baigloo has stated, “Honorable president, it is now three years that you are holding the office. This is achieved through your political and social orientation and statements during the presidential elections campaign. One of the slogans was providing security without imposing security environment on the society. This slogan has been repeated many times by your intelligence minister, Mr. Alavi. But the way that authorities and security officials are acting, especially in Azerbaijan, shows clearly that you did not believe in that or maybe you do not have any control on the security officials’ behaviors, at least in Azerbaijan”.
He described these pressures, “I, myself, not only have been deprived of studying PhD, but have been arrested many times by the security forces, tortured and sentenced to prison. But the cost of my legal freedom seeking acts which is coming from the feeling of being responsible about my country is not ending there. My family is also suffering from the sorrow of these injustice. One ridiculous instance is the actions of the Security Council of Jolfa for making occupational and therefore living problems for my family. Pressures, excuses and bureaucratic actions of this organization directly prevented my family of working and makes it even harder to live under poverty line. Unfortunately, the disturbance of my family by the Security Council of Jolfa (composed of representative of intelligence service, revolutionary guard, intelligence cops of police, municipality, etc.) is such that has become apparently one of their duties. Without any doubt, the responsibility of all of these unlawful, anti-human rights actions is on you as holding the position of head of the National Security Council. My request, besides, publicizing is to make it clear that either these action are carried out by your order, or it is arbitrary action of the security authorities to do some ingratiation and flattery for Jolfa officials”.
The brother of this political prisoner told about the pressure by the security officials to HRANA’s reporter, “It is three years that we are doing business in Aras free trade zone, under the name of ‘Camp Ashayer Touristy’ and selling hand crafts to tourists. First, they did not issue the permission under my name and we had to do it under a friend’s name. After some time, in an internal organization election, my wife became the CEO. After Jolfa Security Council, composed of political-security officials informed that one of our family members is involved in that business, started to make barriers and excuses. First they issued a bill last year and told us that this region was on the border and doing business should be stopped. Then we complained because the region if too far from the border and other people are doing business there as well, then they changed the bill and told us to stop it for security reason. Again, we complained and asked which security reasons? And it continues still and any time they might stop our business”.
He continued, “We sent some letters and officials took it to a court, but this trial will not be fair and unbiased because the judge himself is a member of the Security Council”.
In the end of the interview he stated, “None of our family members is allowed to work. I have another business with the name of “Zaytoon Saraye Shanli”. Since three years ago I have not been able to get a permission for that. I studied food industry but I am not allowed to work on this industry. My brother or sister cannot get the permission for a business or get hired as well. Even my wife was rejected after the security checking and she could not start any business either”.