Azerbaijani Diaspora’s activities in Ukraine concern Armenians
The Azerbaijani Diaspora in Ukraine, including the Congress of Ukrainian Azerbaijanis (CUA) and other Azerbaijani organizations, have intensified their cooperation in recent years, which is of concern to Armenians, CUA chairman Rovshan Taghiyev told Trend news agency, commenting on the assault and injury of a businessman in Kiev, a citizen of Ukraine, Azeri-born Elshad Azimov.
According to the CUA chairman, this concern has been manifested in various forms.
"For example, we carried out activities in the regions due to the Khojaly tragedy. Armenians tried to put some pressure on us to prevent the event from being held in Dnepropetrovsk. They tried to interfere with the operation of the Azerbaijani Diaspora through presenting false information to official administrative bodies. But we have stopped these attempts," Taghiyev said.
Referring to a brutal beating by Armenians of the Azerbaijani businessman, Taghiyev said the CUA has already sent a letter to the Ukrainian leadership - Presidential Administration, the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The appeal was made on behalf of the Azerbaijanis living in all regions of Ukraine, noting that this incident has created serious problems for these Azerbaijanis, the CUA chairman said.
According to Taghiyev, when Armenians were beating the businessman, they insulted him over his Azerbaijani descent. "If this fact is confirmed, then it is about xenophobia, and we will increasingly involve the public in this matter."
According to Taghiyev, who has been living in Ukraine for 27 years, such cases are infrequent and are local in nature.
"In our appeal to the authorities, we asked for them to take the issue seriously. Results will be known soon, so it is wrong to say that the investigation has not been completed and the issue has not been resolved," he said.
The embassies of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Ukraine were also informed of the incident.
Azerbaijani businessman Elshan Azimov was brutally beaten and seriously injured in Kiev on May 11 by brothers Mysak and Samvel Hydyryan as well as their friend Armen Petrosyan, who refer to themselves as Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. However, along with the named Armenians, other people wearing masks were present at the site of the incident.
Azimov said the attackers were armed with axes and hammers. The businessman's life was saved thanks to the people nearby, who delivered him to a hospital. Latest medical report on Azimov's state will be announced shortly.
The victim said the named Armenians have repeatedly engaged in an ethnic-based argument with him, insulted him and even tried to kill him. Azimov said he had never worked with them.
Elshad Azimov was born in 1973 in the village of Badalan of the Masalli region of
Azerbaijan. He is a citizen of Ukraine who works in trade for a living and has two children.