Close Associate of Qasem Soleimani Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances

Iran's "Mizan" news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, confirmed the death of Talal Youssef Ouf, a member of the Hosseinioun group, in prisons in Baku, Azerbaijan. Youssef Ouf, known as Haj Taqi, was wanted by the government of Ilham Aliyev and was arrested about two years ago when Russia handed him over to Azerbaijani security services. What happened to him during the past two years in Baku's prisons is unclear. Mizan news agency described Talal Youssef Ouf as one of the "defenders of the shrine of Sayyida Zainab (peace be upon her)" and a close associate of General Qasem Soleimani, confirming that he "was martyred in the prison of Azerbaijan on the morning of April 22." In this regard, Ahmad Ali Reza Beigi, a representative from Tabriz (northwestern Iran) in the Iranian parliament, refrained from commenting on the case, emphasizing that as an Iranian official, he has no right to comment on the situation of citizens from other countries and the internal discussions of foreign states. Regarding the suppression of Aliyev's government opponents and Shia in Baku, and in response to the question about Youssef Ouf's closeness to the resistance axis and the photos of him alongside General Qasem Soleimani, he stated: "All these things are true, and the repression and injustice have gone too far, but we cannot talk about the citizens of another country due to their government's actions. We also do not allow anyone to comment on the behavior of our citizens."