Azerbaijani national and cultural activist Yaver Soltani, who lives in the city of Dashmaki, was arrested by court officials on December 7 and transferred to the Dashmaki prison. The activist was sentenced to 4 months in prison and 8 months of probation by the West Azerbaijan Court of Appeals. It should be noted that the national activist was sentenced to one year in prison in the first trial.
Soltani, a journalist, was the administrator of the Maku Times Instagram page. In a video he shared on the same page earlier this year, he spoke about anti-racist protests around the world after the death of George Floyd.
He also wrote about the demolition of racist statues in Britain, the United States and elsewhere. He expressed hope that the statue of Abulgasim Firdosi, which was demolished in the “Week Square” in Dashmaki, would not be returned to the square.
The activist’s words were found guilty by the court and security agencies, and a case was opened against him. On July 13, 2020, he was arrested by Sipah security officers and transferred to Dashmaki prison. On June 14, 50 million tomans were released in exchange for a license.
