Araz News: Azerbaijan National Resistance Organization’s (ANRO) spokesman Mr. Babek Chalabiyanli in an interview with VOA Azerbaijani service stated that people of south Azerbaijan from all faiths and ethnic origins are equal citizens and should enjoy same rights.

Pointing to discriminative policies of Islamic regime in Iran he expressed that ANRO and other South Azerbaijani civil struggle organizations defend all rights of all South Azerbaijani citizens regardless their faith, race, language or ideology.

Mr. Chalabiyanli added that however the majority of South Azerbaijan population is Shiite Muslim Turks but we have other religious minorities such as Bahaiis and Sunnis as well as the ethnical minorities and all they are our equal compatriots.

Mr. Chalabiyanli told that while Islamic regime of Iran externalizes non-Persian and non-Shiite citizens it is a duty of South Azerbaijani political organizations to defend and back all South Azerbaijanis from all religions, ethnic groups, ideologies or classes.