The burial of Azerbaijani citizen Ahmadov Orkhan Niftali oglu, who died in the Russia-Ukraine war, as a martyr in Nakhchivan with the participation of his family members and relatives, and the inscription of the word 'martyr' on his tombstone, has been met with ambiguity.
Regarding the issue, the chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, Fazil Mustafa, stated in his declaration to Modern.az that the recognition of such individuals as martyrs is not stipulated in legislation:
“In legislation, martyrdom is a matter that applies only to individuals who participate in the defense of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity or as part of our state's peacekeeping forces against terrorism. Therefore, the identification of Azerbaijanis who voluntarily join a call in another country, or as citizens of that state, or without being citizens, as martyrs in this manner is not correct from a legislative perspective. Naming such individuals as martyrs cannot be accepted as a proper approach”.
However, the former head of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, Rafiq Aliyev, explained the religious aspect of the issue.
He noted that, from a religious perspective, a person is considered a martyr in two cases:
"A person is considered a martyr when they die in a war for their religion and for their homeland. A person may be registered and live in another country. However, their motherland is always Azerbaijan. Because they were born here and then went there. But from a religious point of view, those who die in other wars, those who pass away, are not considered martyrs religiously".
Finally, Rafiq Aliyev added that the inscription of 'martyr' on the tombstone in Nakhchivan is simply the parents' attitude towards their son and is not correct from a religious point of view.
