We all know the Pharrell Williams and his trendsetter song "Happy" from the animated Pixar movie "Despicable me 2".
There is even a new trend to send in videos from around the world titled "Happy from XXX" representing cities and countries from across the globe.
But when I watched this morning "Happy from Baku" video I couldn't help but wonder- are we really?! Yes, people in the video look very happy (granted half if not more of the people starring in the video are well known artists from Azerbaijan and a few random passerby).
Maybe Baku is happy and so are its residents but I thought of all the recent activists, bloggers, journalists, and advocates who were sentenced to jail on trumped charges in just past one month. I am pretty sure their families, friends are not happy.
So was this video mocking all those people of Azerbaijan who don't feel happy at the moment? Because I am pretty sure with the unemployed, hungry, struggling to get by, average Azerbaijanis there is nothing to be happy about. Nor there is anything to be happy about the level of our deteriorating education system, health care system, social services. The Baku thats in the video isn't everyone's, not the happy part at least.
Last year, there was a remake of another popular video- Harlem Shake but because there were no famous people in it and because it wasn't supported by Azerbaijani government its maker is actually in jail today, yes- convicted for 8 years! Will the people who made the "Happy" video convicted now too?! Of course not! So let them be happy, the few who care little about others.
Perhaps you have never seen this tourism ad titled "Azerbaijan, the European charm of the Orient"?
Well now you know all about it. In fact, many readers of this blog are aware by now that Azerbaijan is no charm when it comes to its regime and the style of power- the dynasty of the orient even perhaps.
And the fact that Azerbaijani authorities refuse to accept any of the international criticisms and concerns only proves that there are deep scars that the government desperately tries to cover up like plastic surgeons do. Except in this case, its a very badly done plastic job (think boob job gone bad type of bad).
There have been many reports, statements, petitions, signed, sealed, voiced and advocated for when it comes to the situation in Azerbaijan- poor (if not terrible) record of human rights, arrested activists, journalists, advocates; and more recently targeted youth, young members of existing political parties and movements and dirty media campaigns against well respected journalists. There have been many evaluations of the regime too- authoritarian, dictatorial, sultanistic, and more recently fascist.
And as it is with many dictatorships around the world, in Azerbaijan nothing changes. So when the ruling party announced Ilham Aliyev as their candidate to run in the upcoming October Presidential elections, at least what they could have done is show some respect towards others- but behold, thats not part of the language they talk. So comments about other candidates were blatant if not silly to some extent. But then again, brains is another contested matter over there.
But none of this was the point of this post. I wanted to share with a you a timely video prepared by the Human Rights Watch highlight some of the most recent cases. You can also read their full 106page report, "Tightening the screws: Azerbaijan's Crackdown on Civil Society and Dissent.
I guess the odds will never be in the favor of Azerbaijani people. Not in these elections to say the least. Perhaps a charming oriental miracle?
Yes, this is how life must be for the Azerbaijani authorities- living in a bubble of everything that's not real but preached to be. And here is why... Few days ago, state media decided to yet again speak on behalf of someone. In a blunt report, our "honest" media claimed only words of praise coming from U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijani, Richard Morningstar on his recent trip to Nakhichevan. Fortunately for Azerbaijani people, the U.S. Embassy was quick to react, accusing the aforementioned outlet for blasphemy.
The Ambassador did not make such comments [praising Azerbaijan's democratic progress] to anyone, and reports claiming that he did so are not true.
Surely, it shall come as no surprise that our "honest" media forgot to mention the purpose of Ambassador Morningstar's visit to Nakhichevan, which was the very opposite of what the newspaper claimed- poor quality of democracy and human rights. This cannot be a typo, nor it can be an editorial mistake. In fact, if this was a so- called mistake, the editor of that newspaper should be fired. But no, this wont happen, because in that bubble- Azerbaijan there was no mistake because in that bubble- Azerbaijan, there is democratic progress and development in every aspect of every Azerbaijani citizen.
Lets see who is going to be the next target of "honest" media of bubble- Azerbaijan...
This is my most recent article on post- Eurovision Azerbaijan and the crackdowns that continue in a country where change (a very optimistic word in this case) is very slow and authorities care little about anything but themselves.
You can read the original article in English here and in Italian here.
Its a one thing to hear Azerbaijani top official aid talk about stellar democracy, human rights and freedom of expression record in this country and the country being an example to other European countries but its another thing when bought Europeans, like Burson- Marsteller (Brussels) tout for Azerbaijan "as a good place for the 2020 [Olympic] games" oh and its gets even better, because here are the reasons why: "because of its Olympic values of respect, excellence and fair play!"Man they are good with words!
It is no surprise that Azerbaijani government invests heavily in lobby firms in the US and Europe and this is just one of the examples of these fruitful investments. What Burson- Marsteller perhaps could not see coming (or maybe simply blown away by the generous sums of cash and maybe even caviar served on a golden platter with a souvenir box containing Azerbaijani air, the judgement ability was blurred) was the International Olympic Committee might actually say no (oops! there goes the precious Azerbaijani people's money to nothing but who cares anyway when we have true democracy and a prospering nation).
Oh but its ok, because there will be plenty of other opportunities. If its not Olympics then there will be something else. After all, its not so hard to find something where money can be "strategically" outsourced...
Seeing Adnan's Facebook status update reminded me of the first post I wrote on the "donkey bloggers" case three years ago, on July 9th, 2009 and other updates that followed, like this one for instance.
I am happy that my friends are free today and that they left that part of their life behind, while moving forward. Needless to say, I wish for all innocent journalists, activists, and human rights defenders currently behind bars, on alleged charges released and charges against them dropped.
If you still haven't seen it or never heard of it, here is a video that eventually caused Adnan and Emin's arrest:
Hear more about corruption, blackmail and repressive Aliyev family in this video by Al Jazeera Stream.
It blew me away when the representative of official Azerbaijan said "let it go" while referring to Khadija Ismayilova's case. I wonder if she would have said the same if a similar sex tape and scandal surrounded her and her life.
I will stop here and let you make your own decision.
Azerbaijan is a country that recently gained a world wide reputation for a number of things. For starters, it is now known for being the highest spender on the pop and cheesy song contest known as Eurovision. It also made itself known for the Crystal Hall, the Flame Towers, the Old Town, the New Fountain Square and some bits of the downtown Baku. And of course, "Azerbaijan, the land of" phrase that captured attention of foreigners who were hearing the name of this country for the very first time.
But then, as TV commercial ads were boasting of beautiful and mesmerizing Azerbaijan, something else caught the attention of outsiders. Azerbaijan wasn't just known for its nature, colorful culture and architecture. Behind that Azerbaijan was another, hidden country, where rights of its very own people are oppressed, where journalists are punished for their work, where free words and free spirits are under constant scrutiny and more...
It is up to outsiders to decide which of the Azerbaijans they prefer- glitz and glamor and so- called "hidden treasures" or the country where real life conditions are not so glitzy and glamorous. For those who choose the latter, here is an interesting resolution adopted on June 26th (a month after the Eurovision contest) by the Committee of Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani government calls these reports and analysis black pr and lies. I call it simple reflection of the truth and reality. Facts are facts, no one (including Council of Europe) would make so much noise out of this if everything was as perfect as Azerbaijani government claims it to be.
"Its over now, calm down" said a Twitter user in response to my tweets about democracy issues in Azerbaijan during the final night of Eurovision song contest. Neglecting the reality is an easy way today in Azerbaijan and been this way for the last few years. Its easier to dust it off your shoulders and simply go with the flow. Its easy because you are untouched. Its easy because getting involved in the struggle for democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression puts you one step closer to a prison cell. It makes you the enemy of the state and puts you on the list of "wanted people". Sometimes I imagine that if it was a scene from one of the Westerns there will be small posters all over town pinned to the walls of buildings, coffee shops and restaurants with photos of activists, organizers and outspoken figures all with "WANTED" printed on them.
Its tiring to see constant criticisms of a country that could have potentially be the beacon of hope, the country rich in oil and gas resources with prospering life standards, well paid jobs for all, equality, free press and much more. But its not. And its unfortunate. Azerbaijan, today, though once a democratic state of 1918 is a corrupted, authoritarian, undemocratic state. Its current leadership and the ruling family has no respect to its past and especially to those two very significant years of our history. In fact, the name of the person who played an important role in bringing about this democratic state to life is systematically neglected. A spot where a statue should have been erected to M.E. Rasulzade is home to yet another fountain. And thats what is more important for Azerbaijani authorities than its history- fountains, parks, glamor and bling.
Google images
In fact, just like many other things, history in Azerbaijan is used and referred to only at moments when it suits certain interests and when it comes to certain issues. But alas we speak of 1918 democratic state. We choose to butter up certain individuals when talking about them than pay our respects to leaders of the past. We choose to spend thousands or millions on imported flowers when celebrating a birthday of the late president than face the truth and do something about it.
What we as people of Azerbaijan are failing at as a mass is making sure we have healthy, educated generations to take care of this country once there is no more oil and gas. What we have now is uneducated large portion of young society living in a lala land, disconnected from the world, sucked in to the vicious circle of devastating outcomes of being uneducated. Moreover we are raising generations who have little knowledge about people like Rasulzade and the significance of May 28th. We must change the way we think! We must work to raise educated generations and prevent further societal degradation.
Here is a piece of gossip you probably missed watching Eurovision today. A young man, by the name of Rauf Mardiyev sent me a tweet calling me "brainwashed" and "stupid" (indirectly that is, through his tweets) following tweets being sent out throughout the last give or take few years about Azerbaijan, its poor democratic and human rights record, not to mention issues and problems existing with free press, and freedom to speak one's mind. It turns out, Azerbaijan's democracy is limited to only praises and words of gratitude because when it comes to criticism its not all ok.
Translation: @arzugeybulla Will you write anything positive about this #Eurovision? Why don't you understand (your brain doesn't take it literally), what you are doing is damaging #Azerbaijan in the first place
Now, personally I would love to raise praising words when it comes to Azerbaijan, was there a democracy I would be the first to say cheers! Would there be free press and respect for Azerbaijani journalists, I would be the first to say cheers! But Rauf, as long as none of this exists, people continue going through corrupted universities and schools, patients continue to pay bribes in hospitals and fail to receive proper health care there is nothing to praise this country for. Of course, we might have different perceptions of praise- as you say "thousands like you" see Azerbaijan as a shining beacon of whatever it is that you see it to be but as I have said it already earlier today, I am going to repeat it again- WAKE UP!
Yes, Eurovision brought us the Crystal Hall, but at what costs? I much rather prefer couple of hundreds thousands spent on our very own pensioners, on the costs of drugs they need to get, make it free or at least equally accessible for all among so many things that could be done to make lives of Azerbaijani people better.
Yes, it is also true that Eurovision brought us the city beautification, but again, at what costs? So you don't care about those Azerbaijanis who still have no water, gas, or electricity constantly running in their homes in villages all the while you and the tens of thousands like you prefer watching Eurovision and indulge yourself in wealth that is not equally distributed, nor equally accessible to other young people like you.
If you think there is something good to say about Eurovision then talk about illegal evictions our government carried out. You should also talk about beaten, arrested journalists in prisons. Or, wait, I know, you should praise our country for blackmailing, it does it really well.
You might be one of the hundreds of thousands but the value and weight of spoken truth is so much more than the people like you. You are trying to tell a story backwards but what you are failing to see is that the story was already told, many times and just like me, people who know, know... So if you think that by sending me few tweets as the one above, calling me brainwashed I am going to be ashamed of my actions and become a "different" person then you are mistaken (in fact, I am not sure all together why you send me tweets to this day, didn't way close this subject a while ago when you continuously decided for some reason to take up your issues with me as if I am the only person who writes about our inspirational country?). I choose honesty over whatever it is you live and propagate for.
Maybe after watching this report on Azerbaijan (watch on BBC) you will at least stop harassing me on Twitter. Peace out!
Here are the rest of the tweets we exchanged after the initial one:
On April 17th, three Swedish journalists were taken to the police department first, then to the state migration office and then deported.
The video is taken from the Swedish channel where the video been posted. The men in civilian clothes taking the journalists to the police department by now have become avid "assistants" of local police, helping to detain people on the streets.
I was there when these guys were arrested. They have been standing in the square with me and dozens of other journalists when plain cloth people (like the ones who always "help" police to disperse people in the rallies) grabbed them and forced them to somewhere. I asked the guys who they are, where they are taking my colleagues - no response. Only when we arrived at police station we could figure out what is happening.
I entered the police station to help with communication as there was no one speaking English in the police. Inside the police station, the same plain cloth guy demanded me to stop talking on the phone (I have been reporting what happened to media) and give him my phone. I asked who he is and why should I give the phone. He screamed at me. Tried to take my phone by force. I gave up the phone. They pushed me to the separate room. Few minutes later My, Charlie and Lotta were brought to the same room. They took my ID and documents of Swedish journalists. One policeman was asking them about names, DoB, etc.
I was told they don't have accreditation and they couldn't film. I explained that they haven't been filming yet and accreditation is not a license to film. they wouldn't listen to me. They told me that these journalists came as tourists, not as journalists. I tried to explain that:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS JOURNALIST VISA IN AZERBAIJAN
We have same visas for tourists and journalists.
In the invitation letter to the embassy in Stockholm it was written that these guys are coming to produce reports about democracy and Azerbaijan- EU relations. So purpose of the visit was clearly indicated.
Embassy in Stockholm was very friendly and issued visas in very short period. The embassy supposed to send documents for accreditation to MFA. They arrived on Saturday morning. and on Monday first thing in their schedule would be a visit to MFA. They also requested interview in presidential administration. In fact accreditation is needed ONLY for access to state agencies and events.
THERE IS NO LAW requiring filming permit from anyone in the country in the public places.MFA HAS NO AUTHORITY TO LICENSE journalism activity. Accreditation is for being invited to the press briefings, etc.
After police checked my ID and found out who I am, I was forced to leave the police station, even though my colleagues didn't have any translators. Me and their cameraman Zsolt were waiting in front of the police station. Then the girls called and told me that the police took them through the back door of the police station, put them into the police car and taken to the Migration office. There they have spent more than 24 hours in custody ILLEGALLY. and then deported.
Migration service can detain and deport people ONLY IF THEY ARE ILLEGALLY IN THE COUNTRY - for example, crossed the border illegally, or have no visas, or their visas are expired.
I spoke to migration lawyer Alovsat Aliyev (head of the Azerbaijan Migration Center - NGO providing legal assistance to migrants and on migration issues). He said if these guys decide to sue Azerbaijan for being deported ILLEGALLY (that is what it was), they will definitely win the case.
Obviously we were witnessing one more case when governments actions were STUPID. If people in the government have no brains, you get into diplomatic scandals. Diplomats were there, helping the guys (they spent more than 24 hours in custody of Migration department of the Interior ministry), now they are deported, reached home safely. Now hopefully, diplomats can talk openly and say all what they think about the case.
It was a shame, and I don't think there is a way to justify these actions.
Ah, when will our authorities realize that the international organizations are well aware of the reality on the ground and that there is no point of making fools out of themselves?
Take this article for instance in which, Novruz Mammadov who heads International Relations Department at the Presidential Administration, comes across very surprised when commenting on recent OSCE and EU statements with regard to April 2nd protests and brutal police crackdown.
The statement issued by the OSCE and the EU about the 2 April rally caused me surprised and regret.
Because according to Mammadov that was a "minor event" and such a "serious" reaction was unnecessary. Mr. Innocence further criticizes those established institutions for taking "such sensitive approach" and calls them biased. So you call the treatment of people below as "minor" and not "serious":
Who are we kidding here really? Only ourselves Mr. Mammadov! Only ourselves! Its just so convenient and simple isn't it?! You lie and start living the lie yourself, loosing the border between the fake world and the real world. Well Mr. Mammadov, perhaps thats the main difference here, those institutions that you call sensitive and biased are from the real world, while you are from a planet unknown to the humankind...
