Man down (Updated)

The soccer player Cavid Huseynov will be spending his time on the bench until there is thorough investigation into his role in the murder of Rasim Aliyev.

Huseynov's cousin, is detained.

Police claims they know the identities of others involved in the beating.

At least this time police is doing something, or is pretending to do something. Or is the sudden "progress" is the result of public outcry? After all, we have seen this happen before. Not so long ago, just few months back with the fire that killed 15 people in Baku, it was the outcry on social media platforms first that made the government "really" look into the case. Not that it did much but at least it pretended to. So its pretending to do something now too.

It is a matter of time for us to see what this pretending will all come down to...

In the meantime, RIP Rasim.

***
Rasim had no idea an invitation "to talk over a misunderstanding" will end so tragically. For him. He was beaten, threatened before. He was an independent journalist working in Azerbaijan, what can you expect after all?! Of course these were the norms, the usual part of the package that came when one signed up to be an independent journalist in a country like Azerbaijan.

Rasim died at the age of 31 this morning at a hospital. He died because someone miscalculated their strength and beat him "too much", "too tough", for far too long. But surely they had no intention of killing him. At least this is what the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor Office claims. In their official statement they say it was "intentional infliction of body harm, resulting in death". No one seems to mention that Rasim's murderers stole his wallet, his phone. No one counts the fact that the man died after all and that surely someone who calls you swearing at you in the first place and then invites you "to talk it over" wont have the best intentions in mind? 

No, these are not the questions asked. Because who cares about yet another journalists' life end abruptly? Before his time! Before all the things he could do in his life?  

So far, neither the soccer player, nor the cousin who called and swore at Rasim and then invited him for tea have come forward or said anything. Will they come forward or are they shitting their pants? Or perhaps they are not shitting their pants because they will never be caught and most likely someone else will face the court and get a sentence? 

The truth is Rasim died. Because he was allowed to get beaten and murdered. Because this is what Azerbaijan has become. Lack of education, lack of rule of law, lack of justice and transparency, brutality and aggression - its safe haven for criminals, thugs, to do what they like and that includes government representatives too by the way.

Who knows who will be next...

Pledging legions in Azerbaijaniwood?

Her brain might be shrinking and her heart might be crushing, but she continues to pledge her loyalty to the government. Sounds like some Hollywood movie?! Well then, welcome to Azerbaijaniwood an all inclusive heaven on earth. 

During most recent meetings with Guler Ahmadova (Gulergate scandal might ring a bell) her lawyer who also turns out to be a doctor on call said Ms. Ahmadova suffers from "increased heart ache and brain shrinkage (???)". Her lawyer complained that despite her health issues, she still hasn't seen a doctor to which instead of complaining, the ex- parliament member only said full of dignity- her loyalty to the government is eternal, even if that means living on with a failing heart and a shrinking brain. 

Speaking of shrinking brains, I looked it up, and unless Guler Ahmadova is suffering from cerebral atrophy (related to "shrinking brain" disorder), which given no earlier reports on that, she (and so are we) good to go. Especially now that her appeal was rejected.

January 12th Protest, Baku, and some rhymes

Last night, as I sat down to read up on the news and tweets from yesterday's protest in Baku, I thought of writing this. Seeing police officers carry peaceful protesters in their arms (literally); blood trickling down from a young man's face brutally treated by the police and those mothers and fathers, holding pictures of their dead sons. Mourning for their children who will never come back, demand justice  and yet our police, cared little of that.

Its not much- few sentences put together and a bit of rhyming.

 

They take, we sit in silence not saying much

They steal, we keep on sitting,  not caring much

They lie, we grow accustomed to things as such

And so we live, in silence, quiet, unattached

Pretending things are well as we detach

Ourselves, our families, and friends

From the reality and finally lost touch

With what is known as freedom and equal rights

But wait, am I asking already for too much?

No! Not much! Its time to act!

To get whats ours, and that's a fact!

No time to sit in silence and not say much

No time to care little or not as much

We can't afford to let ourselves detach

Together, as one voice we must react!

Ah the Eurovision!

Source: Google Images

The Eurovision is fast approaching. The country hosting the competition this year- Azerbaijan- is also fast approaching. You know what? The mere ridiculousness of its current spending allocated to the contest. And we are not talking of few thousand of dollars here. In fact, this country is fast approaching the title of  being one of the few (if not the only since no one would invest so much in a silly song contest) countries in the whole history of the song contest. 

Why? To show- off would be the likely answer (and also because there is no logical one really!). The irony is that while it invests millions (USD75.7 to be precise) in a glitz event of the year, the government continues to keep a tight lid on its other spending like education, health care or social care. But I wont be writing about that this time. Instead, I am going to write about a very "generous contribution"that was allocated to the veterans of the WWII just yesterday. Get ready for the numbers ladies and gents because while we waste millions we cannot afford going over 500AZN [RUS] for the people who really are the heroes (ehm... no offense to Ell and Nikki who are too considered "heroes" by many in Azerbaijan) of this country (the money allocated takes into account families and widows of the veterans). The total amount allocated makes around AZN7.5million. 

I just don't understand why waste so much money on something thats going to last for few days when you can built a better future and provide sufficient support to those who are in need and on constant basis rather than one- time only installments as a sign of noble charity? 

What a silly question though, because no one cares about sustainable development. We should spend more now on useless things like Eurovision so that tomorrow, when we have nothing left, we can take apart the Crystal Hall (Eurovision concert hall) and use it for barter when everyone starts running scared (minus the mountains, the sea, and most importantly the dog) from Azerbaijan...

Amnesty International's Campaign for Jabbar Savalanli

A new campaign was launched by the Amnesty International, calling for release of a student from Azerbaijan, Jabbar Savalanli, who was imprisoned and sentenced on bogus charges- the usual suspect, i.e., drug possession. 

You can "dislike" the charge and join the petition by simply signing pushing the "dislike" button on their campaign page (see below).

Jabbar, was imprisoned shortly after posting a status update on his Facebook- calling for mass protests against Azerbaijani incumbent regime. He was detained, forced to sign confession and then imprisoned. 

Please join the cause!

"Azerbaijan's innocence and blind international perspective on just and democratic Azerbaijan"

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":

source

This is minor too?

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...

Remembering Hrant Dink

I remember that day clearly. I just moved to Istanbul, it was January 15th 2007 and just four days after my arrival I heard of Hrant Dink's brutal murder. Back then, I didn't know much about Dink, nor was I aware of AGOS. 

Today, is exactly four years since Dink's murder and as I write these sentences, thousands are gathering in front of the newspaper head quarters in Sisli to commemorate Hrant (watch live). 

I also remember my first visit to AGOS newspaper. Hrant's big posters everywhere. He was a man with ideas and dreams. He was a fighter. But what happened to things that Hrant Dink was fighting for so passionately- looking at relations between Armenia and Turkey, the two are more distant than ever and prospects for reconciliation are stuck somewhere between Turkey's and Armenia's weak foreign policy, Nagorno Karabakh and the rest of the world that talks so much of the Turkey- Armenia rapprochement but does too little to have any effect if any on the process.

Will things change? Will relations between these two countries improve? No one knows but so long as there is no real commitment to change things, it will remain as it is for years to come... 

R.I.P. Hrant Dink! 

http://vimeo.com/8354190 (video you can view on vimeo about Dink's murder titled from January 19th to January 19th- I couldn't embed the video as its restricted by the owner of the video but you can view it on that page)