Arrest of Four Individuals in Azerbaijan on Suspicion of Links to Fethullah Gülen

On Friday, August 19, Azerbaijan announced the arrest of four individuals suspected of having connections to Fethullah Gülen, a religious figure opposed to the Turkish government. According to Azerbaijani officials, these four individuals have been charged with 'abuse of power.' No information has been released regarding the identities of these four suspects. According to AFP, Azerbaijani prosecutors say that the four, who worked at a mobile service company, abused their authority to disclose private information of subscribers and their phone records and conversations. During a search of one of the suspects' homes, religious books, CDs, and brochures of Fethullah Gülen's speeches were discovered. Azerbaijan, a close ally of Turkey, began investigations last week to identify supporters of Gülen. Last month, a private television network intending to broadcast an interview with Gülen was shut down by Azerbaijani authorities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other officials have accused Gülen, a religious figure residing in the U.S., of leading the failed coup attempt on July 15 and have requested the U.S. to extradite him. A court in Istanbul also issued an arrest warrant for Gülen on August 5, accusing him of leading a coup against the Turkish government. The 75-year-old Gülen, who lives in voluntary exile in Pennsylvania, has repeatedly denied involvement in the coup. The U.S. State Department stated that if Turkey provides documented evidence to support its claims, Washington will consider the extradition of Gülen. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Department of Justice has sent representatives to Turkey to investigate the Turkish officials' claims regarding Gülen's involvement in the failed coup. Following the failed coup in Turkey, officials have dismissed or suspended over 60,000 people from various institutions including the military, judiciary, ministries, universities, and other governmental and private entities. The Turkish Ministry of Justice has also reported that an additional 16,000 people have been arrested on charges of having connections to Gülen and involvement in the coup. Several human rights defenders, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Reporters Without Borders, have criticized the Turkish government's actions following the failed coup. U.S. and EU officials have also urged the Turkish government to respect democratic principles and human rights in its dealings with opponents. The Turkish government claims that all these actions are aimed at establishing stability and preventing any harm to the country's economy.