Ethnic Azeri leader gets Rasulzadeh Award

The ethnic Azeri leader of Iran Dr. Mahmudali Chehraganli was conferred two awards during the first week of his visit to Baku.

The prestigious Mammadamin Rasulzadeh Award, an honor founded after the great ideologist of the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918-1920, was presented to the leader of the National Liberation Movement of South Azerbaijan, Iran, Tuesday.

The decision to award M. Chehraganli was made in 1996 on the recommendation of the late ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibay for the best propaganda of nationalist ideas.

Addressing the roundtable "South Azerbaijan and national movement" at the Press Club of Baku on the initiative of the Azerbaijan Foundation for National Democracy, Dr. Mahmudali Chehraganli spoke of the history of Azerbaijan and the attitude of the Iranian regime towards Azeris living in that country. He said there are 9 TV channels in Iran, all in Persian, and most of the radio broadcasts, as well as a great number of magazines and newspapers, are in Persian. "The Azeri population numbering 35 million in Iran have neither publications nor TV channels on hand", Dr. Chehraganli said.

The ethnic Azeri leader vowed to fight for the rights of Azerbaijanis dwelling in Iran. "If the problem is not settled by means of talks, the Persian chauvinism will face the power of 35 million people", he indicated.

Honorable doctor

Dr. Chehraganli was awarded honorable doctorate of the Asia University in Baku last week.

The honor was presented in a meeting of the teaching staff of the university with the leader of the National Liberation Movement of South Azerbaijan Saturday.

Rector of the university Jalal Naghiyev called M. Chehraganli the most respected guest in Baku over the past ten years and unveiled the decision of the scientific council to award him honorable doctorate of the university.

Thanking for warm reception and the title, M. Chehraganli pledged to exert all efforts for integrity of Azerbaijan. "I am happy of falling victim to my nation", he said.

Dr. Chehraganli has been in the Azeri capital since March 15, meeting with journalists, the family of the late ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibay, writers, MPs, people's poets Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh and Mammad Araz, touring some information agencies and rendering material assistance to IDPs.

The visit of the nationalists Azeri leader is underway, as he is expected to visit other cities of Azerbaijan, especially Ganja and Shaki.