Voices of South Azerbaijan: Turkish Calendar Activists Accused of "Creating Public Disturbance"

Turkish Calendar Activists Accused of "Creating Public Disturbance"

Voice of America, April 17, 2018

Mehdi Qamari, Behnam Nurmohammadi, and Yasin Erfaei

Behnam Nurmohammadi, Yasin Erfaei, and Mehdi Qamari, who were detained in Tehran in connection with the publication of the "Turkish Calendar" ahead of the Nowruz holiday, have been temporarily released on bail.

According to information published by human rights defenders, the Turkish activists were released on bail worth 50 million toman, but they face legal charges for "creating public disturbance."

The first arrest related to the 1397 Hijri Turkish calendar occurred on March 14. Iranian security forces detained Behnam Nurmohammadi at the printing house he was operating in Tehran on that day.

Shortly after, national activists Yasin Erfaei and Mehdi Qamari were also detained by the security forces.

Turkish Calendar

During their detention, prison authorities informed the activists' families that they were arrested on charges of "propaganda against the regime" and "activities against national security." However, it was later reported that all three activists were facing charges of "creating public disturbance."

Behnam Nurmohammadi, Yasin Erfaei, and Mehdi Qamari were interrogated for 3 to 4 weeks in the Evin prison's Intelligence Ministry section in Tehran.

Cultural activists from Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran publish Turkish calendars every year ahead of the Nowruz holiday. These calendars, widely embraced by the public, feature images of Azerbaijani history and Turkish culture, as well as important historical information.

Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Türkcə Təqvim hazırlayan fəallar ‘İctimai rəydə təşviş yaratmaq’da günahlandırılıblar

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