As I was just checking new tweets this evening, I came across yet another shocking piece of news from Azerbaijan: "Breaking: Security personnel at Baku airport surrounded Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and his cameraman and confiscated all of his data- hard disks, memory sticks, photos, documents and other material related to his 6- day trip to Baku. He is making a film about arrested journalist Eynulla Fatullayev and fortunately have managed to transfer copies to Oslo already" (via Melissa Ys).
I then read the following tweet by @ljmaximus "#Azerbaijan gov't passed an important milestone- they have started to harass foreign journalists! Until now, only locals were repressed" (via Ali Novruzov).
By that time Ali, already had a post on the incident, adding another ironic news piece- current president presenting a 10- year- old boy with a laptop for his birthday. The irony is that the boy was born on the same day Azerbaijani government celebrates Flower Day- May 10th, which also coincides with late President's birthday. Several bloggers picked up the story and in a short period of time, Facebook had updates on the case.
An article published on Radio Azadliq (in Azerbaijani) provides detailed account of the incident and what happened. The article writes that both Borgen and his cameraman were told that they had too much luggage. They had no choice but to check in their hand luggage while being assured that they are going to pick up their things already in Norway. However, when the luggage was picked up on the other side, journalist discovered that all the filming material of the last 6 days in Baku were deleted off his memory card. In addition, the decision of the Strasbourg court regarding Eynulla Fatullayev case also miraculously disappeared from his bag. Borgen notes that the security managed to also steal all his memory cards and photos.
All of this is just so funny- as if the world is unaware of what is going on in Azerbaijan. As if by confiscating material things are going to get better? Or that somethings could be prevented? If this is the case then I can only say this: WAKE UP! Don't forget, if its not this journalist, there will always be others. We no longer live in a stone age, we live in a time of information technology, Internet, new social media.
Of course, with Azerbaijani government's new initiative on online control tools over the Internet, things might really start going backwards in this country. Especially when you hear someone like Farid Karimov who is the head of the pro- government Information Centre say something as stupid as that certain websites violate country's moral standards and are threat to younger generation (Read more here as Reporters Without Borders publish an update on the situation in the country).
Well, that is strange! Since when Azerbaijani government began caring for its youth? Since April 30th? When police was arresting "young generation" of this country? Or when police officers were pushing "young generation" on the ground? Or when Emin and Adnan got arrested? Or no, wait, perhaps, the younger generation became so important all of a sudden precisely because Azerbaijani government realized its potential as a source for alternative voices?
WAKE UP! is what I feel like saying! Its not possible to arrest everyone, to beat everyone, to threaten everyone. There are always going to be alternatives!
15 comments:
Bizlik deyil, Norvec serhedcileri goturub. :))))))))))) Bizim neyimize gerek...
:)
I would say this is ridiculous, however it is beyond every imaginable; in reality it is awfull. The power in Azerbaijan has becomed tyrannical. They express themselves in such an arrogant manner, that one day everything will explode... If there will be enough bold and smart people like you and your friends.
I would say this is ridiculous, however it is beyond every imaginable; in reality it is awfull. The power in Azerbaijan has becomed tyrannical. They express themselves in such an arrogant manner, that one day everything will explode... If there will be enough bold and smart people like you and your friends.
Duzdu de, bizimkiler bele xirda ishlernen mesgul olmurlar. Ad san var axi. :) Hem de profil duz gelmir, meselen sumkanin icinden elave (artiq) neise cixsaydi, demek olardi ki, bizimkilerin "xetti" di :) Ehhhh....geden teki sekiller flashkalar olsun....camaat burda "survivor" oynayir...o da orda gor neye gore shuven qaldirib. :)
Just read the same story in different places including his own. First, there are lots of contradictory points in what he says. Second, so turns out his smart but our MNS guys are stupid....:)Cuz they have got no clue about Internet Censorship. :)
Good job for him.
I think it is just a good commercial before the movie. Although dont neglect the fact with security personnel, just if government wanted to prevent something, they would just do it.
Regards,
M.A.
1)"Материалы были изъяты в тот момент, когда Борген собирался вылететь из Баку, где несколько дней работал над планом нового фильма о находящемся в заключении журналисте Эйнулле Фатуллаеве"
2)"“30 dəqiqə sürən danışıqlardan sonra, təhlükəsizlik xidməti əl çanatamı ölçməkdə təkid etdi. Mənim başqa seçimim yox idi, çantanı hərəkət edən yük lenti ilə (baqaja) yolladılar. Dedilər ki, səhvən oldu, əlavə etdilər ki, çanta yük kimi birbaşa Norveçə göndəriləcək.Jurnalist deyir ki, yükləri Norveçdə alanda görüb ki, 6 günlük çəkilişin görüntüləri yaddaş kartından pozulub, bundan başqa Erlinq Bogenin sözlərinə görə, Eynulla Fətullayev haqqında Strasburq məhkəməsinin qərarının mətni də onun çantasından yoxa çıxıb."
3)"This morning at 5 am at the airport in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Norwegian journalist Erling Borgen and his cameraman, Dag Inge Dahl, was surrounded by aggressive security personell.They stole important documents from the Norwegian filmmaker. They also stole and confiscated Mr. Borgens hard disk with six days of filming"
4) "Borgen had come to Baku to shoot a film on jailed Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev. He said, the airport security workers seized his baggage and returned to him only half an hour later. They were very aggressive and stole important documents from my bag. They also stole and confiscated Mr. Borgen’s hard disk with six days of filming. What the security personnel did not know, was that they were tricked. Copies of the entire film-materiell are now in Oslo. The editing of the documentary,"
So, yes something happened there,maybe, but what exactly...?!!!!
It is not a secret about our system and etc...but this is just a way of attracting attention.
Regards,
M.A.
Hami bilir ne var ne yox Azerbaycanda, ister burda ister xaricde.Bunu her defe sadece olaraq qeyd elemeknen hec ne deyishmir!!! Kimse (xarici vetandashlar nezerde tutulur) dogurdan da Azerbaycan ucun can yandirir, yeni oz shexsi meqsedleri ucun bunu istifade etmirse, yazsinlar hem o Norvec, hem de ABS hokumetine ki, orada veziyyet beledir, siz bunlari niye destekleyirsiz? Niye axi?
Cunki oz shexsi menfeetlerini daha ustun tuturlar, sonra da gelib demokratiyadan, insan haqqlarindan, soz azadligindan danishirlar. Amma ozleri de bu haqqlari tapdalayanlari destekleyirler.
Regards,
M.A.
@M.A he, mende cox fergli bir nece versiya oxudum. hansi duzdur bilmirem, ama en azindan aralarinda ortaq bir mesel var ki o da Borgen'in materyallarin yoxa cixmasidir.
komentler ucun cox sagol, as always precise and interesting :)
AG, en subhe doguran bir fakt odur ki, men hec vaxt gormemishem ki, bizim aeroportda SECURITY or BORDER CONTROL or CUSTOMS OFFICER yukun cekisini yoxlasin, onlar hec yuk cekilen yerde olmurlar axi. Yeni procedura baxsaq, sernishin girir iceri, aeroport tehlukesizliyinden kecir, gomrukden kecir, sonra reqistrasiya -yeni HAVA YOLLARI emekdashlari terefinden biletin ,pasportun yoxlanilmasi ve yukun cekilmesi, boarding pass verilir, sonra ise serhed kecidi. Neise e, amma men yene de subhe ile yanashiram. Demirem ki, neise olmayib, sadece inanmiram. :)
Mentiqi yanashsaq da, kime bu situasiya serf edir?
M.A.
@M.A. hmm...eslinde duz deyirsen. orda full body veya luggage security check ancaq passport yoxlamasindan sonra olur. men bir nece defe gormusem, ordan insanlari alib, kicik bir yere goturub, orda yoxlayirlar. hetta bundan bir nece ay once menim bir dostumu bele yoxlamisdilar. yeni ancaq orda olur. ama men de gormemisem bundan qabaq :)
Very sad story, indeed!
This is very ridiculous, why this regime doing marketing job for Scandinavian journalist?
Why they did not cancel "Gul Bayrami" (Flowers Holiday)last year after terror act in Oil Academy? Why they have such hostile attitude toward young generation? Why?Why?Why?
Azerbaycanda bir gedim atalar sozu var: "meshe yeyesiz qalanda cakkal agaca dirmashar" (difficult to correctly translate into English is like when forest left without owner coyotes will climbing on the trees). Azerturk from USA
Anonymous yazir (May 7th 2010) xaricde yashayan soydashlarimiz baresinde ki, ne ucun onlar yashadigi olkelerdeki hokumetlerine yazmirlar ki, Bakida veziyet beledir, siz niye bunlari destekleyirsiniz? Sizin me'lumatiniz ucun yaziram ki, Amerika Birleshmish Shtatlarinda Amerikada daimi yashayan soydashlarimiz (boyuk ekseriyati Amerika vetendashi olan Azerbaycanlilardir) AZAD teshkilati yaradiblar ve onlar butun bu hadiseler ucun aksiyalar kecirirler Ag Evin gabaginda, New Yorkda BMT-nin gabaginda, Washingtonda Azerbaycan Sefirliyinin gabaginda. Cox aktif bir teshkilatdir ve siz dediyinz kimi hec kimden qorxan degiller.
Men o teshkilatin uzvu olmasamda AZAD teshkilatinin bashcisi E.Shaxtaxtinskini taniyiram. Azerturk from USA
@Azerturk from USA.
Men oz postumda sen dediyin kimi bir sey yazmishamsa yeni :"xaricde yashayan soydashlarimiz baresinde ki, ne ucun onlar yashadigi olkelerdeki hokumetlerine yazmirlar ki, Bakida veziyet beledir, siz niye bunlari destekleyirsiniz?" xahis edirem goster hemin yeri!!!
Sehv etmiremse men xarici vetendashlari nezerde tuturdum, xaricde yashayan Azerbaycanlilari yox,ele de yazmisham.
Bu da sitat :"Kimse (xarici vetandashlar nezerde tutulur) dogurdan da Azerbaycan ucun can yandirir, yeni oz shexsi meqsedleri ucun bunu istifade etmirse, yazsinlar hem o Norvec, hem de ABS hokumetine ki, orada veziyyet beledir, siz bunlari niye destekleyirsiz? Niye axi?" Ona gore xahis edirem, diqqetli oxuyub ondan sonra hansisa ferziyye ireli sur.
M.A.
@M.A nece yeni gosterim onu? senin gonderdiyin postu men publish eledim, yeni, i can't edit comments, i can only either publish them or reject. and i published exactly what you wrote. sorry, maybe i am not understanding what you are saying?
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