A YouTube video, a rapper, a mother and police

What do all of these have in common you ask? Well if the case is about Azerbaijan it is obvious. A rapper who made a video and posted it on YouTube is now seeing his mom (and relatives) round up by the police for questioning. Police is demanding the rapper takes down the video. The rapper says he won't budge.

Jamal Ali, is a young Azerbaijan musician who have had his share of torture, beating and arrest. In an interview I did with Jamal back in 2015 for a project called Freedom Beat, we spoke about his experience in the aftermath of the arrest and the humiliation he had to endure.

"They place a bag over my head, handcuffed me from behind, sat me on a chair and extended my legs onto another chair. They took off my shoes and then started beating me with a rubber truncheon over my heels. This lasted for about three hours the first time, then another two hours the second time", he told me.

Jamal was 24 at the time. This was in March 2012, two months later Azerbaijan was to host annual kitsch Eurovision pop song contest.

Had it not been for the Eurovision contest, Jamal fears he would have ended up in jail on a much longer sentence. He was released ten days later and warned not to make songs or sing about the president and the authorities anymore.

Shortly after the incident Jamal left Azerbaijan and moved to Berlin where he continued his work. And work he did. Jamal released this video [see below] on December 31, 2016.

Guess what the song is about? Of course it is about authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, and how it goes after activists and more.

This time, because Jamal himself was not in the country, the authorities have gone after his family members, including his mother.

The family was told Jamal must remove the video. Jamal says he has not intention to do so.

Jamal's work either as an independent singer or throughout his years singing with various rap bands always focused on challenges average Azerbaijanis faced in the country- the poverty, illegal demolitions, the abuse of rights, crackdown on free speech and democracy and so on.

His gift to his fans right before his departure from Azerbaijan was a song called “Vermisel” [Noodles].

The song was about illegal demolitions, people left without homes ahead of the Eurovision song contest combined with what happened to him during his detention.

   

“Woke up in the morning


Had "vermicelli" [noodles]


At lunch I had same thing


I said enough is enough


And went out to do something



I was beaten for what I said


Shoved into the police car


They showed on AZTV [1st governmental channel]
and called us bandits



What? Am I not right?


My house is demolished


I'm homeless


No roof over my head


Is Eurovision what I need now?



Cameras are all over the place


Someone is watching us


Here is the message to them:
Saint middle finger



You call yourself citizen


"No stone left on stone"


The fountain you are proud of


Is made with your tax money



Dudes are working hard


It's 5 on records, 15 in their pockets


The dirt is eaten anyway


Why am I in charge for that?!



Dear Hajibala [Baku mayor]


What the hack you are doing, man?


If you have big passion for demolishing 


Go demolish "his" houses in Dubai



Cameras are all over the place


Someone is watching us


Here is the message to them:
Saint middle finger.” 

When rape and fear is your only weapon (part 2)

The atrocities committed in Azerbaijan's detention centers- this needs to be mailed to every single apologist of Azerbaijan in order for them to understand the kind of the regime they are applauding and wanting to keep around for the sake of "stability". 

"They chained my hands from behind and then started beating me with batons. They punched me with their fists and legs. And when I started screaming from pain they taped my mouth", recently detained youth activist Bayram Mammadov wrote in a letter that was passed by his lawyer.

"I was brought to the chief's room where 7 or 8 civilian dressed men were waiting for me. They punched me, they slapped me on the face. They were demanding I tell them why I drove that graffiti and who I was in cohorts with. They beat me continuously. I eventually lost consciousness, I couldn't hear anything from all the beating".

"When I told them I have never even seen drug substance, they told me they cannot just arrest me for drawing graffiti. This upset them so they beat me harder. They threatened me they would rape me with police baton. So I had to tell them I did use drugs. I did everything they told me and wrote a letter. Then they told me that if I apologize from the statue, lay flowers and do all of this in front AzTV cameras they would let me go".

"When I refused to do so they continued to beat me."

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...

Selfie as a tool for nonviolent civil resistance

Selfies are popular. The most recent selfie that got many talking/tweeting/blogging about it was from this year's Oscar's with Ellen DeGeneres and the rest of the stars of the Hollywood movie scene. 

If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014

But there is a new selfie that would totally beat that. The one that was shared just recently, this past week in fact, during the clashes with police and the peaceful protesters all the way across the ocean, miles and miles away from the Hollywood's Dolby theater in a police van, in Turkey.

Ali Emre Mazlumoglu shared this seflie when detained. 

Selfie dediğin polis otosunda gözaltındayken çekilir (7 Mart) pic.twitter.com/oc5Lit3Z1z
— Ali Emre Mazlumoğlu (@AEMazlumoglu) March 10, 2014

I never thought that selfies could one day become a tool for civil disobedience in a way. Ever since the protests erupted and shook Turkey last summer, humor was one of the most commonly used tools when it came to showcasing the anger and frustration of the Turkish people against the ruling government of the Justice and Development Party. Many songs were written or lyrics re-adjusted, funny slogans and chants voiced, even graffiti had elements of humor especially in Istanbul.

And today as protests in Turkey continue, humor again is one of the most important tools used to keep the spirits high.

#occupygezi through the lens of a foreigner

I wrote this post as a guest post for Erkan Saka's Field Diary. Wanted to share it here as well.

"I moved to Istanbul in 2007. The largest form of protest I witnessed back then was the march organized to protest the death of an editor and chief of weekly Armenian paper- AGOS. Never did it cross my mind that only few years later I am going to be part of something special, something that for some has been coined as the greatest thing that happened to the people of Turkey ever since the last coup in the 80s. 

Many faces of occupygezi 

There she was standing on the edge of a construction block throwing stones to the protesters. “Here take some more”, she was shouting through a medical mask that covered her face (a common accessory used by many of the protesters in Istanbul and across Turkey). I turned my camera and started taking photographs of this woman in her 50s, maybe 60s. It was hard to tell her age, only her graying hair was giving it away. For me she was just another icon of the #occupygezi protests similar to the woman in red and a woman in black (the list got longer as the protests escalated, with a young man playing a guitar boldly in front of TOMA vehicle, a naked man and later the standingman).  

All these people together with tens of thousands more were taking the streets protesting. For some occupygezi was about protecting nature, for others standing up for their rights, their freedoms, their choices and the authoritarian grip of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

I was in Taksim square on May 31^st, holding my camera and trying to breath through the thick smoke of tear gas. For the first time in my life, I tasted tear gas and pepper gas. For the first time in my life I saw water canons. The brutality of Turkish riot police reminded me of my home country Azerbaijan and how our police used violence to disperse crowds of people whenever they took the streets in recent years to protest its own government.

Later weeks became a routine- meetings with foreign journalists late at night, walks in Gezi Park, interviewing protesters, watching police intervene, and the never- ending feeling of resistance and solidary in the eyes of many of the faces of Gezi Park protests. 

My camera was ready, capturing moments, the faces, just like that woman-throwing stones. At times it felt peaceful and at times, the scenes in Taksim square, on Istiklal and in many parts of Turkey felt no less than war scenes from movies.  

Twitter and Vine became my best friends while covering the Gezi Protests. My camera and the photographs were proof of how one country and its brave people can change its destiny. 

These days, I feel a different kind of Turkey. I feel like people have finally woken up and are ready to challenge the government that isn’t too ready to accept this challenge and face the reality of the Turkey it has created and at times forced upon its people.

For many this is a new beginning. As a foreigner living in Turkey, this new beginning feels exhilarating. But what is more important is not to lose this momentum. There is a long path lying ahead of Turkey now. How it is shaped now depends on its people as much as it depends on its government. 

As for me… my camera is ready so as me, to see and be part of this change…" 

Taksim square- before and after the protests

Last night, as I joined residents of Istanbul in Taksim square for #standingman silent protest memories of how the square liked just few days back hit me pretty quickly. I have grown used to the crowd, there was something certainly very special in the air. Last night everything looked different. As if in fact nothing ever happened. 

And so, I thought I share the images below comparing the early days of protests, before police hit everyone pretty hard with violence and emptied the park with tear gas, sound bombs and violence.

p.s.: photography by me. if you are interested in more photos from the protests you can visit here, i have compiled all the photographs i have been taking of the protests in this album.

I am not a hoodlum, not an extremist, not a marginal, I am an individual, with rights

Before I found myself in the middle of Taksim Square on May 31st, I was just an expat living in Istanbul. I enjoyed living here though my concerns of what to become of Turkey as a result of seriously conservative policies placed by the ruling AKP increasingly grew over me. 

Turkey was a different place when I first came here, which was in 2001. I was here as a student, studying International Relations and I remember clearly the elections in 2002. I remember the festive atmosphere. People greeting AK Pary's buses in Kizilar. Flowers and promises for a greater future were everywhere. 

I left Ankara in 2005 and came back in 2007, around the time when YouTube was banned. I was shocked. How can YouTube be banned here?! For me Turkey always was a beacon of hope especially for someone who comes from Azerbaijan, where the authoritarian rule of one family been suffocating the country and its people for almost two decades now. Of course there were ways to go around banned YouTube. This was the first time I learned about bypass proxies. 

Then I left again 2009 and returned in 2010 this time with an intention to stay for much longer. But ever since I have been back (and in pretty much all cases) nothing good happened in Turkey. When I first moved back to Istanbul in 2007, I was one of privileged expats, with a generous salary, enjoying the colorful and rich life of Istanbul. But this wasn't the case for everybody, despite the increasing salaries and booming economy. 

AKP policies kept coming in, and while people protested nothing changed. Decisions were made, amendments passed and people got on with their lives. Mass arrests of army generals in the fear of "deep state plotting"; arrests of prominent individual and journalists, recent ban on alcohol and on public kissing, were really the final drops before this nation of some 70 million realized that the cup is full and there is no more room for any "kneeling". #occupygezi came at a right moment. The road expansion plan, cutting of trees, and the brutal police [mis]treatment of people who were at the park opened the Pandora box. People were angry and it wasn't just about trees anymore. 

And so, as events unraveled I too joined hundreds of thousands Istanbulites in protest, demanding that my voice, as an individual, is heard and that my rights are respected. It was disappointing to see government's initial reaction. It was quick to dismiss the essence of the protests and calling all of us- hooligans, alcoholics, hoodlums, extremist and marginals while we are students, doctors, lawyers, teachers, pensioners, housewives, engineers, and people from all sorts of interesting backgrounds. 

Today is the 9th day of protests in Istanbul. Today is also the day when demands of "Diren Taksim" [Resist Taksim] are heard by Deputy Prime Minister. The demands are simple (this is a rough translation, original text is available here): 

1. Gezi Park must stay as a park and that the authorities must announce a unanimous decision that nothing will be built there and it will remain a park from now on;

2. Ataturk Cultural Center (a building right next to Gezi Park) will remain untouched as well;

3. Governors, heads of security forces of Ankara, Istanbul and Hatay and those implementing their immediate orders must be dismissed from their duties immediately;

4. Ban on use of gas cannons and similar materials;

5. All those detained must be released immediately; 

6. No more bans on public gatherings in squares like Taksim and Kizilay (in Ankara) and other public squares; no more bans on the right to protest; and removal of all kinds of conditions limiting freedom of expression. 

The only person who apologized for the violence has been Deputy Prime Minister (and that was on the 8th day of protests and wasn't an apology from everyone mind you). The Prime Minister himself is away on a state visit trip. He left the country in a turmoil, once again dismissing everything that's been happening as an act of hooliganism, fueled by outside powers, jealous of Turkey's economy and the country's growing power significance. Well, dear Mr. Prime Minister, as one CHP Parliament Member said yesterday, "you have been poisoned by power". And that is the problem. People had expectations when PM Erdogan first came to power. Many voted for him and his party and voted again for him and the party but if more than 60 towns been on a revolt and the ruling party is still talking about trees and calling us names, this shows that something is wrong. One cannot call your citizens hoodlums and certainly one cannot say that Twitter is a menace to Turkish society. It is thanks to Twitter that we have been getting and sharing news about what is happening because Turkish media wouldn't (As someone wrote on a wall near Taksim "Revolution will not be televised, it will be tweeted"). It was only after Prime Minister left the country that CNN Turk began showing more footage of police brutality. But even today, on the 9th day of protest there is still no live coverage outside of hourly news segments.

What is going to happen next we are yet to see. I have certainly had enough of tear gas. Though on the nights when I don't get even the swift of it, it feels strange, like something is missing from my life. Will the current government resign after days of calls? I am not sure either. But things have to change, and that is I am sure of. I will be back in Taksim square today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow if need be. I will come and join the peaceful protesters and continue tweeting and taking photos. I know I am not alone.

I am happy to be part of this resistance and see what Turkish people are capable of. Thanks to them, (and thanks to the Prime Minister because if it wasn't for him this probably would have never happened), I saw the unity and solidarity that could form among people united by one cause. The resistance continues! #direngeziparki #direnturkiye!

photographs are by me

May 31st, Taksim Square

short video from the footage i had from May 31st and June 1st.

here is YouTube link if you cannot open it here for some reason.

Gas, watercannons, wounded, dismantled buses and cars- no, this is not a movie scene

Have you ever gone from a wedding to a protest? I have. Two nights ago my two buddies had a wedding. It was beautiful. Outside of the city chaos and mayhem we were surrounded by trees, clean (gas free) air, and of course, two happy people surrounded by their friends and family tying their knots for their lifetime. 

But all of us, friends, were torn. We spent a good half of the wedding checking Twitter (because traditional media been pretty much silent for the past few days) trying to stay tuned. Every minute there was something- but the worst news were coming from a neighborhood called Besiktas. Located not far from the Besiktas Soccer Stadium. Besiktas is a lively residential district popular not only among Besiktas soccer team fans but also among locals. The night before, some of my friends were there, but instead of enjoying the fresh fish from the local bazar or a stroll through some of the cobble stone streets, they were greeted with tear gas and police. For the past two nights, this neighborhood turned into a war zone - clashes between riot police and the protestors. There were many injured. People were tweeting pictures that looked nothing short of a movie set of some war/out-of-this-word zone.

The wedding was over, and so we drove back to city center. Talking to passer by who were coming back from Besiktas we didn't hear anything good- tear gas, pepper gas, some even thought police was using something called orange gas. To protect themselves protesters used a mix of talcid and water, milk, lemon, goggles, masks, hard construction hats- basically anything that can protect one's body against possible attack. 

We too packed our bags and started walking. It is hard to describe what I saw so I am just going to share photographs: 

Near Besiktas Inonu Stadium- night of June 2nd

Barricades on the way to Taksim near Besiktas Inonu Stadium- night of June 2nd circa 3am

More barricades

Taksim square- Morning of June 2nd, around 3.30am

I took photo above in the afternoon of June 1st, the photo below is the same spot at around 3am on June 2nd

Above Taksim square, May 31st, people running from tear gas, below Taksim square, June 2 early morning, people no longer running

"Don't be silent"

I came home frustrated. The looting was affecting the whole purpose of resistance. It was becoming violent and this was not the original intention. But then it was inevitable I suppose. The anger and frustration of the people has grown out of proportions and it is no longer about trees and park. Its about something much bigger- something that is called AKP. 

So far, the authorities have failed to understand this, and that is why people are continuing to resist. And looks like will continue because its no longer few hundred people, green activists protecting trees, its about over 60 cities of Turkey where thousands of people are protesting the regime and calling for PM's resignation.

Stay tuned, more updates are coming.

Azerbaijan: Suits, uniforms, body ache

On March 10^th, Azerbaijani citizens came together to protest the deaths of military conscripts. Many held the photographs of a deceased young soldier, an 18-year-old conscript Ceyhun Gubadov whose initial death report said the young man died of a heart failure. The young man however was the victim of physical mistreatment. Gubadov wasn’t the first, nor is he the last conscript to lose a life in suspicious, undefined circumstances (most often hazing and abuse), which usually are covered by fake medical reports.  

Police ordered demonstrators to disperse given the rally was unsanctioned. Men in uniforms and plain clothed police however resorted to violence quickly using water cannons, rubber bullets and force in an attempt to scare the protestors. 

The poem below is about my emotions and feelings- what came out as a result of recent events at home. 

"suits and uniforms"

Making up your mind

Waking up to the reality

Slowing down the pace

Of life, of yet another sanity

I’m suffocating

These men in suits and uniforms

They mutilate me

Not physically but mentally

My body aches

From mental wounds

From their insanity

They are killing me

Gradually

They are suffocating me

Slowly

They mutilate me

Reducing living cells

Of my lucidity

I reach the point

In my life

When questioning the “suits” and “uniforms”

Makes no more sense

As they are senseless

They are still

Not physically but mentally

They hurt, they suffocate

Both physically and mentally

They say it’ll pass

But when and how

And will my body, mind and soul

Keep up the fight

The struggle

And find the strength

To see the light and day

When men in suits and uniforms no longer there

To mutilate and suffocate

To let me go

To let us go

To live a life

No longer scared,

No longer hurt

But that’s a dream,

Too far from the reality

And as I wake up

And see reality

My body aches

Not physically but mentally

And once again

I start to lose my sanity

Different perspectives

A look from the OSCE's Ambassador office and the streets of Baku. Indeed as you rightly put Ambassador Targay there are "good results at the police forces and in rapid deployment forces". They are getting better and better with each protest.

As they dine, people get fined (photo story)

Source Launch of Nargiz Magazine

No comment, Protest in Baku on Jan. 12

No comment, Protest in Baku on Jan. 12. Source

No comment, Protest in Baku on Jan. 12. Source: Mehman Huseynov, IRFS

No comment, Protest in Baku on Jan. 12. Source: Mehman Huseynov, IRFS

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!

Humor me please- or how seriously Azerbaijani police takes its orders

Oh yes they do! You see, yesterday, on December 10th over 80 Azerbaijani activists were arrested and detained (and later released) as a result of unsanctioned public rally in Baku organized by some members of the opposition parties and some youth movements. 

As always police was there, all ready, geared up. After all, this rally was not approved by the city authorities so instead the police was approved to do what it took to "prevent hooligans from distorting public calm". And prevent they did. Not only they made sure every anti- regime activist was taken off the public square but they also arrested one gentleman in particular, who instead of protesting the regime, was calling for its support!

The video of the man being dragged by the local police while praising the late and the current president apparently gone viral. See it yourself :) 

Ironic isn't it?! I guess Azerbaijani police does take its orders pretty seriously, the mere uttering of the word "President" can be cause for arrest, no matter what the context it.

Map: Which countries police the Internet the most?

Came across this map thanks to a user on Twitter showing Google take- down requests by country across the world. Looks like Turkey is in the lead with Azerbaijan showing only two requests.

Big Brother is watching you!

I wish I had this image when I was putting together previous post on Orwell's book 1984. But its never too late. So here it is:

H.Aliyev is watching you!

A little thank you note to @Turanoza on Twitter for sharing this.

'Hypocrisy'

'Hypocrisy' is a short promo video about Azerbaijan and the hidden "treasures" behind Eurovision glitz and glamor.

Azerbaijani police ready to protect Eurovision in full fashion (updated)

This is the full security Azerbaijani government is promising the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) during Eurovision song contest. Keep silent EBU because Eurovision as you say is not politicized and the police protecting you is not politicized at all, especially in a country like Azerbaijan. 

Source: http://on.fb.me/KWdKBF

Updated May 16th:
And here is a video (read the full story here) from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFEL) of May 14th.

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!

6 activists sentenced in Azerbaijan

According to this article published on August 25th, 6 Azerbaijani opposition activists were sentenced to various times with the highest jail term of three years for staging anti- government protests in the capital of Azerbaijan in April of this year. Among sentenced are Zulfugar Eyvazli (18 months), Babak Huseynov (18 months), Sahib Karimov (2 years), Elshan Hasanov (2 years), Elnur Israfilov (2.5 years), Arif Alishli (3 years). 

The protests organized by the Oppositional Public Chamber were dispersed and resulted in arrests of more than dozen activists. According to the article, 8 more activists are awaiting trial.