Today, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Arman Tatoyan visited the activist of Talish national movement, the correspondent of an oppositional newspaper “Talish Sado” and the member of the managing council of “Republican center of Talish culture” Shahin Mirzoyev and his family, who were given a shelter in Armenia. Later Mirzoyev was hosted in the Human Rights Defender’s Office.
During the meeting Shahin Mirzoyev noted that he and the members of his family faced inhuman persecution and ill-treatment by Azerbaijani authorities for raising issues concerning the Talish national culture and identity. Many Talishs are even afraid of speaking about their national identity. According to Mirzoyev, the persecutions towards him were especially severe as he had tried to struggle via his journalistic activity.
Mirzoyev told that such kind of policy is implemented towards all national minorities living in Azerbaijan. There is even a list of names banned by a special law, containing names of national minorities (including Talishs’ names).
According to Mirzoyev, Azerbaijan implements an active and organized policy of spreading hatred towards the Armenians among society. Moreover, it is done starting from schools and kindergartens in order to bring up children with that hatred. Just being an Armenian is enough to become a target for persecution and revenge.
Mirzoyev introduced concrete examples how Azerbaijan uses persecution and slander by naming each other “Armenians” as it is considered to be the worst insult there.
According to Mirzoyev, during and after April war in 2016, those Azerbaijani soldiers who did ferocity to Armenians were encouraged at state level no matter if the latter were women, children or elderly people. In this regard, Azerbaijani society faces misinformation via the state-controlled media.
During the meeting Arman Tatoyan clarified the Armenian legislative regulations to Shahin Mirozoyev and provided him the necessary legal consulting, expressing his willingness to support Mirzoyev in regard to the issues he had raised.