Azerbaijan Issues In Absentia Arrest Warrants for 7 Turkish Citizens

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office issued in absentia arrest warrants for Rıdvan Kaya, Zekeriya Ceran, Fatih Tezcan, Ahmet Şanlı, Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, Abdurrahman Tumer, and Alparslan Tanrıkulu, who reside in Turkey; the seven individuals have been added to the international wanted list.

According to the state news agency AZERTAG, Articles 281.2, 283.2.1, and 167-3.1 of the Azerbaijan Criminal Code were applied. These articles cover charges of inciting the forcible seizure of power, inciting religious hatred through violence, and preparing and disseminating materials with religious extremist content.

In a report by Cumhuriyet Newspaper, the investigation was stated to be linked to social media posts directed at Azerbaijan from Turkey and protests in front of diplomatic representations.

The Prosecutor's Office implied that Interpol channels would be activated despite the suspects not being present on Azerbaijani territory. Although it is known that Azerbaijan has previously resorted to similar legal mechanisms against figures close to opposition circles in Turkey, Ankara's official position at the diplomatic level has not yet been shared with the public.