YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Oppressions against indigenous minorities living in Azerbaijan have increased, particularly in the recent years, Head of the Chair of Iranian Studies of the Faculty of Oriental Studies Vardan Voskanyan told “Armenpress” commenting on Azerbaijani citizen Shahin Morzoev’s asylum request from Armenian authorities. “Shahin Morzoev’s asylum request from Armenia is mainly conditioned by the oppressions against public and political figures of the Talysh people, Talysh journalists and anyone who raises issues of Talysh history in general. This particular activist has regularly been persecuted in Azerbaijan; his family members have also been harassed. Therefore, he had no other option than seek for an asylum”, Voskanyan said.

He added that the indigenous peoples of Azerbaijan often perceive Armenia as a key regional player that can at least assist them in the sphere of media and communications, voicing about the oppressions against those peoples and the assimilation policy pursed by the Azerbaijani leadership.

“I think this factor creates an opportunity for Armenia to assume another role. A role that supposes not only to press Azerbaijan directly, but also to act as a state voicing about the rights of all the oppressed peoples in Azerbaijan. In this regard, Armenia has the chance to assume an extremely important regional role in the near future, in fact, gaining new levers for influence in the South Caucasus”, the expert in oriental studies said.

Vardan Voskanyan drew parallels between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stating that Armenia’s acts in this context are first of all humanitarian, while Azerbaijan uses similar cases for propaganda. “Shahin Mirzoev’s case can become an example for not only the Talysh people, but also for all the citizens in general”, he said, adding that Azerbaijan’s policy is based on cynicism, while Armenia is guided by humanitarian principles.

The Armenian authorities received a request on February 11 from Shahin Mirzoev for temporary asylum, since as a member of Talish Cultural Council, Talish freedom movement, journalist at the “Tolishi Sado” newspaper, he was obliged to flee from Azerbaijan due to the persecutions against ethnic and religious minorities and gross violations of their rights, and to arrive to Armenia with his family. Armenian authorities reacted positively to the request of Shahin Mirzoev.