Azerbaijan`s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Sabina Aliyeva has sent a letter to Equality Ombudsman of Sweden Lars Arrhenius regarding the incident of the burning of the holy book “Quran” in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Expressing her concern about the rise of Islamophobia in European countries, Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva underlined that the committed act violates the freedom of religion and belief of all Muslims, which once again proves that the fight against discrimination, intolerance, and Islamophobia in Europe is not at the desired level.
The Azerbaijani Ombudsperson emphasized that such a failure by the Swedish police to intervene in the incident by showing disrespect for the religion of Islam is unacceptable. She also reiterated the obligations of states to ensure and protect the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which are proclaimed by international legal documents in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms.
Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva expressed her hope that all the necessary measures will be taken by the Swedish Equality Ombudsman to prevent the recurrence of similar acts in the future and bring the perpetrators of religious discord to justice.