When rape and fear is your only weapon

"[...] the policemen beat them, forced them to take their pants off, and threatened to rape them with truncheons and bottles if they did not confess to drug possession. Following the abuse, they confessed to drug possession before they were allowed to see their lawyer."

This is not a movie script. This is police brutality in Azerbaijan, member of Council of Europe, signatory to a number of international conventions and treaties. This is the country, whose president recently shook hands with President Obama, smiling, proud while people like Ilgar Mammadov and Khadija Ismayilova are kept in silence behind the bars in Azerbaijan prisons. 

This a country that hosts conventions, UN events, sporting events all the while stealing from its people and living off like kings at the expense of its people. 

It is a country where police never found perpetrators behind Elmar Huseynov, journalist who was brutally murdered in front of his house in 2005. It is a country where police never fully explained and got the bottom of a murder another journalist/writer Rafig Tagi. It is a country where police failed to find those were behind setting secret cameras in journalist Khadija Ismayilova's apartment, and those who later blackmailed her with sex tapes and released them online.

But is a country where police is quick to fabricate charges against activists and notable individuals. It is a country where police can easily "discover" following a "thorough investigation" substantial amounts of heroin or molotov cocktails or arms in homes of activists, journalists, and other government critics. 

It should not be surprising then it also happens to be a country featured in Panama Papers and where its leader is stealing off just fine. 

The opening quote in this post was from a recent reported published by Human Rights Watch documenting recent arrest of two youth activists and their treatment inside the police. The report also said, "They [the two young men] were also forced to clean the toilets and yard of the police station while police filmed them. While at the station trying to get access to Mammadov and Ibrahimov, Sadigov [lawyer] saw police kick and humiliate his clients as they cleaned the station yard. Sadigov tried to intervene to stop the ill-treatment, but police physically pushed him out of the station."

I understand Aliyev's personal pleasure in silencing his critics, but does this recent treatment indicates that he also gets pleasure from his thugs called police raping these people as well?

And then there was no one left...

One by one the government is coming after its outspoken critics. One by one...

Today, Azerbaijan's Sabail District Court sentenced, the country's prominent investigative journalist and brave critic of the government Khadija Ismayil. 

If convicted, Khadija is facing anything between three to seven years. She is charged with Article 125 of the Criminal Code (incitement to suicide commitment). 

Yesterday, in some kind of a tribute to Russia, country's god father, Ramiz Mehdiyev accused Khadija of treason, calling her and people like her spies working for the west. 

Many voices have been silenced in Azerbaijan. 

There are over 90 political prisoners. 

The government is gradually ticking off the list of people it doesn't like either through intimidation, smear, humiliation, and arrest. 

There are not that many people left. 

If this is the pace of things, then soon there wont be anyone left. And this is what the Azerbaijani government is trying to do. To silence, to destroy and get rid of any such voices. 

So far, they are winning...

On the power of men and virtual harassment

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Just a few days ago, a man who pretended to be someone else, took the liberty (not sure from where) to engage in what he thought was perhaps quite an entertaining engagement. Not sure how many women out there these days get virtually harassed and how (not that there are any appealing ways of being harassed) but this man was extraordinary. He was persistent, annoying, frustrating and intimidating. And he had no intention to stop (or so it seemed at the time).

It all began with a message he sent on August 2nd from a US number. Since this was a non-Turkish number I was genuinely confused and thought perhaps it was a friend. I asked a few times who he was. At first he said his name was Alp and that he found my phone number through a friend. I congratulated him for having such true friends but asked him not to bother me. It didn’t work, after blocking him, I received another message two days later, on August 3- he actually said by blocking him “the problem won’t get resolved”. “We are going to talk”, read his message. I don’t know which problem but I blocked him again, and asked WhatsApp to address the issue.

In the meantime I learned that, WhatsApp cares little of its users rights and cases as such. Because he was persistent, once again, I received a message from him on that very same day and again from a new number.

The following day, he decided to try a different tactic- calling me names although I am not sure where he was trying to get with that. I blocked him again. There was another message from him right after and another and another and another.

Basically I kept receiving text messages from him during the day each time from a new number (as I continued blocking him). Blocking him must have worked, since on August 6, he finally told me what his real name was and to make it more legit he sent his photograph (like, here, in your face, I can harass you and there is nothing you could do, even if you have a picture of me).

He started asking stupid questions about my work. Quoting my articles I have written and etc. This time I decided to respond, but only with question marks figuring that talking won’t help and will only frustrate me further and perhaps this would frustrate him in return.

To my surprise this worked. Well, not really. He started with saying he hated Azerbaijanis and although was ethnically an Azerbaijani he despised them (apparently they have done something to him) and so he decided to take revenge on a random person- which ended up being me.

Maybe it was my work that spared me the harassment. He said he appreciated my critical approach about Azerbaijan and that I wasn’t like the rest of them (not sure what he meant by this either). He did confess- just like that- that if this wasn’t case he would have continued to harass me (yes, he actually said this).

He said he didn’t actually live in the US but in Istanbul and that he wasn’t angry with my work at an Armenian/Turkish paper (as if I cared about his opinions?!)

He had the balls however to even joke about my complaints to Twitter (yes, he was stocking me there) and poke fun at my failed attempt to get WhatsApp do something about him. Turns out my Twitter followers weren’t real he said. But the highlight of it wall was his continuous assurance in himself and that he could just continue doing this harassment.

I was appalled by all of this. It was so frustrating. And it felt even more frustrating that I couldn’t do anything about this. Blocking obviously didn’t help. Complaining didn’t help either. Some guy just randomly picks you and it begins. And if you are lucky it stops at some point, your harasser gets tired of you maybe. Who knows how their logic works (not that they really have any). But I am indeed lucky- he stopped (at least for now). But the helplessness of the situation was daunting.

He wrote he had a girlfriend many years ago but after breaking up with her (in a very bad way- whatever that means given the insanity of his behavior) he decided to take his revenge on other women.

But how do we address this? Is there a way to address this? And surely, I understand that there are worse stories than this one but who gives the right? How many women go through and will go through these ordeals every day and can’t do anything?

Not that I have answers to these questions. I just thought I share this. Feels better to get it off my chest.

The men who stare at women (and goats too probably)

I loved that book "The men who stare at goats" but this is not about Jon Ronson's witty creation. Its more about the men who stare at women on the subway in Baku, the modern, flashing, glitzy capital of Azerbaijan. 

It was around 11.30pm. After a fun evening with my friends in town, it was time to go home. We said our goodbyes, and with one more friend we took the subway. She stayed on, while I had to switch lines and that's when all the fun began. In fact, the fun began already when we got on the subway, but I paid little attention to that- after all it was the two of us and we were chatting away. Waiting for the train on the platform surrounded by only men- how do girls get back home in this town? Taxis? Rides from their friends? Family members driving them home? No metros? Really? I wonder at what time does metro as a means of transportation, stops being means of transportation for women in this city? 

Apparently its all of the above. I wasn't the only female on the metro of course. There were few more, maybe four or five of us. But certainly we were a minority. And that was when "the men who stare at goats" title came to mind. I just had to alter it a bit to fit the proper situation. 

The men who stare at women are men who consider their eyes a god given right to... well... stare! And its not just a quick look! Its like eyeballing! As if their eyeballs are about to fall out and they absolutely must suck in everything that's around them (preferably "everything" in a moving form of a female). It was a difficult moment- no, it was a challenging subway ride. It felt as if I was visually harassed- and there was so much of it that it felt uncomfortable. 

In the meantime I examined and studied carefully every single dent on the wall of the subway station, on the floor of the subway station, on the signs of the subway. Soon there was nothing left to study and I had no interest in starting to re-count every single marble stone on the platform. Instead, I took out my book from my purse and started to read. I think it would have been ironic had I "The men who stare at goats" with me. But thats not the book I had.  

I continued reading, feeling the heat of looks multiply with every second. I mean, not only was I on the subway at that hour alone, but I could also read apparently! It was getting annoying. I wanted to lift my eyes and stare back at them. But had I done that, it would have been considered inappropriate and that I was attempting to flirt with them and god knows what else it could have meant in their perverted tiny little minds. And so I read. Luckily, the stop I had to get off at wasn't too far. And so there I was. Back on the platform, quickly walking away from the train. I got on the escalator, but didn't wait and decided to walk up. I realized how deep the tunnel was on this station, slowly taking deep breaths, trying to calm my heart beat. 

I was so happy to breath in the fresh air of the night. I was out. It felt nice not to be stared at anymore. I walked home, thinking how strange it must feel for Azerbaijani women to go through this experience every day. After all, it wasn't just a one time thing. This happens every day, every time on the subway, on the bus. Its like they get fixated on you, as if trying to eat you alive with their looks. Maybe its an exaggeration, but it certainly did feel that way. 

Who to blame when there is no one left to blame?

Emil Agazade is the head of media department at the European Azerbaijani Society. For those of you who don't know of this organization, let me enlighten you here for a second. EAS is a well known lobby organization based originally in London, but now with operating offices in Brussels, Paris, Berlin and Baku. They do a myriad of activities but you could read more about their orientation so to say from their homepage.

Now back to Mr. Agazade who appeared here bashing the International community for bashing Azerbaijan in return. In his "touching" piece, he wrote that blaming such a young democracy for its shortcomings is ridiculous especially when we have Armenia and the on-going war on the one hand and mother Russia walking in our footsteps on the other. Don't know about you, but that left me scratching my head. Basically, it all boils down to this: we don't have a democracy, free and fair elections, respect for human rights and free media, because we have an evil neighbor, that is fighting us and then there is this big brother too watching over our shoulder and not letting us do what a democracy should. 

So instead of being better we simply arrest journalists, blackmail them, crush voices of dissent and tell the whole world that we are as good as gets and that Europe and the rest of the critical eyes prying over us, should mind their own business and look at their own so called "democracies" which are not really democracies but wanna- be democracies. 

And one last thing, even if take the argument that there are no true democracies in the world (according to Mr. Agazade) as given, it doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't be the first. Why not?! Oh well, we all know an answer to this, because its easier this way, because its easier to rest the blame on someone else instead of us. Its easier to divert the attention. I am just curious, how much longer, this blame thing, or whatever it is, is going to continue. How much longer, will Armenia, Russia, Europe or whoever, is going to be responsible for all the violations, allegations, intrusions and blasphemy? Who are you going to blame, when there is no one left to blame?

To a "healthy" future of Azerbaijan!

In his 1949 novel, 1984, George Orwell writes, "If our leaders were thinking about what they could do for the country, they'd be considering its future, in short, its children". Our children are the future, but if a child is raised in a way that contradicts principles of equality, liberty and freedom, we cannot speak of a solid future. Anything else, will only bring perils and ills to a nation. 

Let us look at Azerbaijan. It does not fall short of what Orwell describes in his book as "[...] something huge, terrible and glittering- a world of steel and concrete of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting- three hundred million people all with the same face." If this is the goal and the kind of future Azerbaijani leadership is trying to built then there is no need to speak of a future because there simply is none. 

We cannot have a future in a country where there is a small percentage of super- wealthy having most of the power while the rest of the people are so severely dehumanized that they lose their "faces", their individuality, and their role in shaping their own future.

***

Known for some remarkable statements, head of the Social Political Department at the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov, continued setting records with yet another remarkable statement two days ago. On December 26th, during an event organized to celebrate the one year anniversary of Youth Fund Mr. Hasanov noted "Azerbaijani youth must closely involve in solving state problems" adding "Unfortunately, during Eurovision, a group of youngsters paved a way to damage Azerbaijani image [instead of promoting Azerbaijan's music culture]". He called these young people radicals, "unhealthy" and that it is the responsibility of "healthy" youth to stand against this "small but active group of people". And just as he likes to make an entrance, Mr. Hasanov's exit was too nothing short of another remarkable statement, "Azerbaijani youth can handle five- ten lost youngsters, while in the meantime, continue to represent Azerbaijan abroad at its best".

I wonder what defines "healthy" youth according to Mr. Hasanov. I guess it is that very same faceless, robotized future?! Perhaps, someone needs to remind Mr. Hasanov that having an opinion and speaking truth doesn't make you lost, in fact, it makes you perfectly honest person on the right path. And so to representing Azerbaijan abroad at its best- well, gotta break the bad news to you, but representing a country at its best means actually to talk about the shortcomings, the missing components of a democratic country and not just talking about beautiful music, gorgeous carpets and so on.

I much rather have a country with young, vibrant, creative, young people (doing flashmobs, engaged in social activities, raising awareness and working to make this country a better place) than a country made of "healthy" youth afraid of saying that we failed at having democratic elections, that things are not great in Azerbaijan, that we have limited press freedom, that we have journalists behind bars and advocates intimidated, that we have corruption and that we cannot speak of a future where rich remain rich, while the rest of the people keep silent and in a state of constant fear.

Let everyone decide for themselves rather than impose your "ideology of greatness" on others. People have a mind of their own, we, the young generation of Azerbaijan can connect the dots. Oh, and I almost forgot, we are perfectly healthy.

'Throwing Spitballs from Berlin to Baku'

This is one of my recent articles written for Transition Online about a young satirist, commentator and video blogger living in Berlin and doing what he does best- playing "satirical" games with Azerbaijan's government. Here is a short excerpt from that article, to read the full story click here.

[...] The satirical publications that have taken their place steer clear of politics. But not Abdullayev. The 28-year-old continues to throw pitballs at Aliyev and his henchmen from 2,200 miles away in Berlin, where he moved in 2002 to follow his father, a political activist who had been threatened by the government [...]

Blackmailing at its best- the case of Khadija Ismayil (UPDATED see links below)

While I am posting this days after the letter is sent, I still wanted to share this important document, signed by MEPs at the European Parliament, addressing the recent blackmailing scandal against well known Azerbaijani investigative journalist, Khadija Ismayil.

Khadija received a package at her home address in Baku on the International Women's Day (surely this was no coincidence but further attempt to humiliate this person). The package contained photos of intimate nature and a threat note with inappropriate language- if Khadija was not to immediately give an end to her work as a journalist she was to face heavy consequences.

Here is the full letter addressing this incident and the reaction of the Parliament.

With Eurovision so close, such threats only illustrate Azerbaijan's attitude to "ensuring" freedom of expression in this country. It should come as no surprise, but perhaps, this would give those who advocate for Azerbaijan being a true democracy a gist of what is going on beneath the glitz and glam of it all. But then again... It all depends on who is judging...

European Parliament Letter to the President of Azerbaijan

Amnesty International "Azerbaijan: Secret sex video used to smear investigative journalist"
Global Voices Online "Azerbaijan: Investigative Journalist Defiant After Blackmail Threat"
The Independent "Sex video used to blackmail Azerbaijani journalist"