On November 15 of this year, at around 06:30 in the morning, Manuchehr Azizi, a prominent figure of southern Azerbaijan, who devoted his life to the bright future of his homeland, the restoration of his native language, history, and culture, a well-known politician, public figure, and ultimately a traveler of truth and justice, and the chairman of the Sun Party, was on a business trip to Europe when he was prevented from traveling by the Iranian authorities at the Tehran airport.
The purpose of Mr. Azizi’s European trip today was to meet with the newly formed Azerbaijani national front and to seek democratic solutions for the return of the people’s national rights.
Unfortunately, the Iranian authorities, by subjecting this personality to insults and mental torture in radical ways, once again proved to the world that they are far from democracy, truth, and justice.
In fact, while Manuchehr Azizi’s European meetings were successful for southern Azerbaijan, they were not a step taken against the Iranian government. Perhaps it could have been more beneficial for the flourishing of cultural movements in that region.
AMC continues its activities in a cultural and public manner within Iran, and therefore the Sun Party has been our companion. Unfortunately, by engaging in such unseemly actions, the chauvinists who have infiltrated the government are trying to radicalize the cultural movements of Azerbaijanis, and such inhumane behavior may create a negative impact on the government, especially among the younger generation of Azerbaijani Turks. Therefore, AMC conveys this statement with a deep sense of regret to our citizens and all freedom-loving people.
The Azerbaijani National Front today urges people and bodies living in every part of the world, regardless of their nationality, who have devoted their lives to the restoration of human rights for truth and justice, to uphold democracy and demand the following two demands from the Iranian state:
Protection of Manuchehr Aziz’s life and allowing her to travel abroad!
The Iranian government should not create difficulties in the democratic movements of national cultural and human rights in South Azerbaijan!
Azerbaijan National Front
Malmö-Sweden, November 15, 2003
