Ilham Aliyev punishes official who willfully demolished Haji Javad Mosque

By Trend

Despite the instruction of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, certain government officials willfully decided to demolish the Haji Javad Mosque in Baku, before completing the construction of a new mosque.

Ilham Aliyev immediately after receiving the information, instructed to seriously punish those officials, Assistant to the President for Public and Political Issues Ali Hasanov told Trend.

He also noted that the main culprit, the head of the district’s executive authority, has already been dismissed.

Ali Hasanov said that President Ilham Aliyev stopped the demolition of the Haji Javad Mosque in the “Sovetski” area back in April and instructed to create a special commission for a comprehensive and objective investigation of the issue.

Having studied the issue, the commission decided that the mosque demolition is inevitable, and Ilham Aliyev was then informed about the result of the investigation, according to Ali Hasanov.

Taking into account the opinion of the local community, President Aliyev decided on the construction of a new mosque and after this considered the demolition of the Haji Javad Mosque.

Ali Hasanov also noted that upon instruction of the Azerbaijani president, funds as well as an area on Sharifzade Street in the Yasamal district of Baku were allocated for the construction of a larger, more beautiful and modern mosque.

However, despite the instruction of the president, the Haji Javad Mosque was demolished before the construction of the new mosque was completed.