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Source:
May 23, 2010
Security forces raided Gholizadeh’s Photoshop in Miandoab’s Imam Street on May 21, and confiscated his computer case, CDs and personal belongings.
According to Savalan Sesi, the judicial and security authorities have refused to disclose his location and the reason for his arrest to his family. Behboud Gholizadeh was the secretary of Azerbaijan’s Yashil Organization. Miandoab’s security authorities revoked the organization’s license for alleged ethnic activities a while ago. Mahabad’s Revolutionary Court had recently summoned the activist asserting his store sign contained Azeri names and symbols, and his organization was promoting ethnic unrest by teaching Azeri dances. Gholizadeh had previously been arrested in 2006 for protesting a racist cartoon in a state-run newspaper. He was later released after several months of detainment.
The number of detained Azeri activists has increased as we are approaching May 22nd, the anniversary of the Azeri uprising and the vast protests in 25 different cities of Azerbaijan due to the publication of a racist cartoon in a state-run newspaper. In the past week, 12 Azeri civil rights activists have been arrested.