Short update on Azerbaijan (written for a separate publication, reposting here)

On September 26, 2016 Azerbaijan confirmed the adoption of 29 constitutional amendments, strengthening the power vested in the hands of the ruling regime. Similar to previous elections, September Referendum took place not without election fraud and violations. Videos, interviews, and independent reporting documenting these violations was swept under the carpet as per business as usual. As a result next presidential elections in Azerbaijan will take place in 2020 rather than in 2018 as the presidential term limit were extended from 5 to 7 years. Among other changes are right granted to the incumbent president to call for early elections; dissolve the parliament; and appoint a first vice president who would replace the current president as his constitutional successor. In addition, minimum age for running in parliamentary and presidential elections was reduced to 18 years of age and so on. In a statement issued by the Venice Commission "proposed amendments would severely upset the balance of power by giving unprecedented powers to the president". 

Ali Hasanov, presidential aide described the changes as necessary in order for the government to work more efficiently. For those familiar with this small nation on the shores of the Caspian and rich in energy resources, official Baku already had all the powers it needed to run a country already constrained by corruption, appalling press freedom and human rights record. On January 24, court sentenced independent journalist Rovshan Mammadov to 30 days of administrative detention. Earlier, court sentenced member of youth organization N!DA to a similar charge while fining popular citizen journalist and blogger Mehman Huseynov for allegedly resisting police. Court in Baku in addition sentenced to other members of N!DA movement to ten years in jail on bogus drug possession charges while many critics of the regime saw this sentence as a grave punishment for the two men drawing graffiti on the statue of the late presindent on Flower day, which is know to celebrate late President, Heydar Aliyev's birthday. In addition to the case of Rovshan Mammadov and Mehman Huseynov, at least five other journalists have been arrested or detained by the authorities in recent months including Afgan Sadygov; Zamin Haji, Ikram Rahimov, Fikret Faramazoglu, and Teymur Kerimov according to monitoring by press freedom watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists. 

In the meantime the country witnessed second devaluation and price hikes, which according to the country's independent economists are direct result of mismanagement of the country's economy including wrong economic policies of diversification, presence of monopolies, and rampant corruption. Just weeks ahead of the September Referendum, Bloomberg reported about a halt in foreign currency sales as local currency manat continued to depreciate while demand by businesses and households soared. 

Overall, given the circumstances, there is little space for positive projection for 2017 as restrained conditions remain across the country and regime in Baku continues to push for its personal gains over country wide and much needed and long time overdue reforms.

For the apologists of Azerbaijan's regime

Dear apologist, the video (below) is from the country you call a democracy, you call a partner, you speak of highly at meetings and events. This is from a country where 8 young innocent men were sentenced on trumped up charges for just believing in values of freedom, equality, for wanting Azerbaijan to be a true democracy and not a democracy served on a golden platter full of caviar, which you don't mind shoving in your face.

Dear international actors who have been looking the other way. You called our recent elections free and fair, you have raised no voice when honest people were put in jail. You remain silent to the daily struggles of citizens, because you get what you need in return- the resources to keep your people safe and warm. 

Dear government official, you have done your job well. You have silenced continuously those you want to be silenced. You intimidate those who are free. You instill fear in your people. You have chained your very own people and you have sucked up all the life out of them- you have created a country of robots and soulless individuals, brainwashed, afraid, not free. You have skillfully blackmailed, detained, murdered, jailed, and yet you are still considered a democracy abroad by any of your apologists (who you keep well fed, similar to brainwashing but the other way around). You have released those who belong in jail, and you have arrested those who believe in something bigger.

So, what does today leave us with... Crushed hopes, devastated families, mothers and fathers in despair, but not to worry we still have plenty of apologists of Azerbaijan who don't give a damn thing about the country's people and their chewed up rights. Oh and a country taking over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Way to go! Just sit there, silently, watching the country's free thinkers suffocate. 

Public diplomacy and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan...pending arrest (updated)

09:05: As of early hours of this morning Leyla Yunus husband is in intensive care and Mrs. Yunus was giving statement (questioned) at the prosecutor general office. Yunus was meant to meet with France's president Francoius Hollande on his visit to Azerbaijan on May 17th. She believes this detention is to prevent her from this meeting. Sounds like Emin Milli's arrest when he was meant to translate for the German Ombudsman Gunter Nooke in 2009.

01:37: here is another update in English. No news yet though Yunus herself believes its in close relation to her work in peace diplomacy.

22:55: According to the lawyer Khalid Baghirov (who is also overlooking the case of Mirkadirov) who is currently at the airport he hasn't seen the couple. The lawyer says the law enforcement agents are "conducting" search of their luggage and will then search their apartment.

Which could mean a whole new set of things: like finding books of certain nature for instance like they found in the apartment search of young NIDA activists. There is just no limits to what Azerbaijani government can do. It is as simple as that.

***
If you haven't heard about the case of Rauf Mirkadirov, Azerbaijan journalist based in Turkey, deported and then arrested and charged with espionage then here is an article for you to get the picture. 

Mirkadirov, isn't just a well known journalist writing for many years for the Russian daily Zerkalo. He is also a known name in the circles of people to people diplomacy advocates. 

He is accused of transferring some kind of "secret" information and photographs- in a nutshell, state secrets of some sort- and is currently in a three month pre- trial detenion facing a possible sentence of 10 years. 

Just now [AZ] I am reading that another well known human rights advocate Leyla Yunus is detained together with her husband Arif Yunus as the couple was leaving the country for Doha. While according to the news several foreign diplomats were able to get the couple through the customs, they were stopped from boarding the plane. 

The couple is also outspoken on the public diplomacy and has taken part in many meetings. The nature of these recent arrests is troublesome as this could mean a number of things starting from a new type of measure of Azerbaijan government to silence its critics but also show its disinterest in the dialogue with its neighbor Armenia. Surely this could mean other things but the bottom line is clear- Azerbaijani authorities relentlessly punishing free voices. Already there are several journalists, advocates, political figures and bloggers in jail not to mention 8 young men who have voiced their concerns about the political and social situation in the country and are now facing trumped up charges. 

So do all those apologists of Azerbaijani government still consider it a democracy? They probably do, no doubt but many others who see the real situation should raise their voices and concerns! This is not an acceptable!

N!DA

They are on their 9th day of hunger strike.

Azerbaijan, the Oriental shame of the Caucasus

Perhaps the title rings a bell? 

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?

More members of N!DA arrested today

Two more members of N!DA Civic Movement were arrested today. Rashadat Akhundov and Uzeyir Mammedli were accused under article 228.3 of the Criminal Code for firearm violations. They too like other previously arrested members of the movement are facing between 5 to 8 years of imprisonment. 

For more updates follow here and here.

Ruslan Asad and Rashad Hasanov interrogated today

UPDATED (March 15):
According to Rashad Hasanov's lawyer, Asabali Mustafayev, Rashad is facing a possible 8 years of imprisonment if found guilty on charges of illegal weapons possession. In addition according to Khadija Ismayil, from Baku, Hasanov is refused his right to see a lawyer. Supporters are afraid he might be tortured and forced to publicly accept his "crime" as it was the case with previous three N!DA members.

UPDATED:
Ruslan Asad was just released. He was questioned by the prosecutor. It is likely that he will be summoned again for more questioning tomorrow. He was not mistreated. This interrogation shouldn't have been surprising, following a notoriously misleading piece written by once-upon-time prisoner of conscience, journalist Eynulla Fatullayev about NDI's alleged two million dollar financial support to organize a "Facebook Revolution" in Azerbaijan [rus]. Perhaps, we should thank Mr. Fatullayev for today's interrogation phase of Ruslan Asad and Rashad Hasanov and other NIDA members who are now accused of many grave crimes they didn't commit. As for NDI, every cent counts (as it rightly should) and holding an institution like NDI accountable of investing USD2million in a Facebook Revolution is simply outlandish. Perhaps this piece [az] by another blogger Ali Novruzov will bring further explanation to this.

There are still no news re. Rashad Hasanov.

***
Rashad Hasanov, member of NIDA movement and Ruslan Asad, NDI employee were arrested today by plain clothes policemen. Hasanov was taken earlier today, while Asad was detained around 5pm Baku time. Hasanov while being questioned by the Grave Crime Investigation Unit, Asadov's whereabouts are not known.

In addition, arrested leader of ReAl movement, Ilgar Mammadov's sentence was extended to addition two months.

There are rumors that OSCE might close its representative office.

***
There is information to Ruslan's present employer NDI (National Democratic Institute) and his status with the institution. According to some sources, Ruslan was fired from his job shortly after his detention on March 10th protests organized in Baku (to protest deaths of conscripts). Others (including NDI staff) claim he wasn't fired. Whether he was fired or not, that is not important at the moment. Whats more important is that this young man, open minded, well educated, outspoken and intelligent was taken by two men (who presented themselves as employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) around 5pm today in bright day light near the building where NDI office is located. He was put in a car (Toyota) and taken away. Another reality of all this is that no one knows where he is. And that also another activist was arrested too. So my message to all those arguing over Ruslan's current status with NDI is to stop doing that and instead focus on gathering information and sharing it.