Protests, rallies, investigations- you name it, chronology of Azerbaijan's internal storm

Chronology of protests and other events sharking up the country

January 11 

• Sumgayt (Sumgayit district) Population 314,800 

January 12

• Liman (city in Lankaran district) Approximately 14,000 people in the city out of total 209,900 
• Siazan (Siazan district) Population 38,400 (police keeping "things under control" watch video here)
• Aghcabedi (Aghjabadi district) Population 124,000

January 13 

• Agsu (Agsu district) Population 72,100 
• Fizuli (Fizuli district) Population 118,900  
• Ujar (Ujar district) Population 79,800

January 14

Fearing the spill off, the government sends in troops to Sheki and Quba. In Sheki, Popular Front Party members are detained.

The 18% tax on wheat and bread cancelled.

January 15

• Quba (Quba district) Population 155,600 All entrance and exits into the city are controlled by the police while people’s demands remain the same- jobs, prices and living conditions (watch video here - people are chanting "istefa" [Resign]).  
• Zobcuq settlement (Fizuli district) 

January 16 

• Aghcabedi 
• Fizuli (can watch video sent by Fizuli resident here)

January 17 

• Hovsan settlement in Baku

January 18

• Employees at Bina shopping center didn't show up at work today [January 18] demanding drop in rents leaving the mall management without any customers.  
• Jalilabad (Jalilabad district) Population 196,500 
• Shaghaci village (Astara district)   

January 20 

• In Ganja, online activists called into questioning as of January 17. According to AzadliqRadiosu, activists are told not to call for any protests and even stop "liking" any comments or other related posts 

January 21

• a group of owners went on a strike at the market for car sales situated on Babak avenue in the capital of Baku. They demanded that the market management decreased rent prices given manat devalued almost by half in the past year. The management complied this time, decreasing prices by 10%

January 23

• Few foreign companies decide to leave Azerbaijan. Among them are French Technip Maritime Overseas LTD; Italian Maccaferri Azerbaijan and Turkey's Anel Telecommunication Electronic Systems 

January 25

• employees of Dashkasan Mining Factory came to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection demanding their salaries of the past two years- the employees say they have not been paid for the past two years.   
• also today a group of employees employed by AzerInshaat [construction company] gathered in front of the company headquarters demanding their unpaid salaries. Employees also protested last year October for the same reasons.  

January 26

• two more banks bid farewell today: United Credit Bank and NBC Bank's license was revoked  

January 27

• Two more banks lose their license in Azerbaijan: Caucasus Development Bank (Qafqaz Inkisaf Bank) and AtraBank 

January 28

• ParaBank says it won't issue any more loans  
• protests erupt in another town- Sumgayit. This time it were the shop owners at Karvan mall in Sumgayit. They were demanding that the mall management lowers the rents. They did by 30-50% however, they also said it's short term and will last for 3 months.

January 29

• Owner of Pharmacy chain Elmir Maharov called into the questioning based on the charges of "Artificial price increase and other illegal behavior". Avis operated in Azerbaijan since 1998. It has around 10 pharmacies across Baku.  

January 30

• after a few social media users announced plans for a protest in Zaqatala they were arrested. In total 7 people were arrested (including those who re-posted the original posts).  

February 1

• TexnikaBank license revoked 
• renters of shops at Karvan mall in Sumgayit continued protesting against high rent fees. Promises to drop fees that were made few days ago never happened.
• Musavat party activist Elvin Pashayev remained behind bars as Appeal court dismissed appeals of Pashayev's innocense
• Similarly deputy of Azerbaijan Popular Front Fuad Gahramanli was also left behind bars as Appeal court dismissed the motion of releasing Gahramanli under house arrest. 
• reports of a female resident of Aghcabedi self immolating due to outstanding bank loan 

February 2

• joining angered salesmen from Karvan mall in Sumgayit are the shop owners of "Moscow" mall in Baku. But this time, instead of raising their voices or yelling they have simply removed all goods from the counters. And this is how they are protesting increased rents which they are unable to pay.  

February 4

• vendors at the market known as "8km" went on strike protesting increase in rents 

February 5

• story of a man trying to commit suicide circulates online, he is rescued. complaining about pressure against him and his business the man said he had enough and hence tried ending his life. He is known to be Karabakh war veteran.
• also on February 5, residents in Ganja storm the building of the ruling New Azerbaijan party youth wing for the job fair. The fair was postponed due to overwhelming turnout. Police was reported to force people out of the building. According to AzadliqRadiosu there are 3569 unemployed in the country's second largest city. 

February 6

• 18 employees at the penitentiary service were dismissed from their jobs while 322 brought to justice for various crimes including acts of torture, abuse of power, corruption 

* By now, 11 banks stopped working in Azerbaijan while 3 announced their decision to merge

Chronology of protests in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan consists of 60+ districts (which are also known as rayon); 11 cities; and 1 autonomous republic. 

Since January 11, several districts across Azerbaijan saw its residents take the streets in frustration of soaring unemployment and price hikes (with an exception of Sumgayit where residents and mostly owners of little shops protested authorities decision to demolish their properties without any compensation). 

Below is the chronology of events and the names of towns where uprisings took place:

January 11 

• Sumgayt (Sumgayit district) Population 314,800 

January 12

• Liman (city in Lankaran district) Approximately 14,000 people in the city out of total 209,900 
• Siazan (Siazan district) Population 38,400 (police keeping "things under control" watch video here)
• Aghcabedi (Aghjabadi district) Population 124,000

January 13 

• Agsu (Agsu district) Population 72,100 
• Fizuli (Fizuli district) Population 118,900  
• Ujar (Ujar district) Population 79,800

January 14

Fearing the spill off, the government sends in troops to Sheki and Quba. In Sheki, Popular Front Party members are detained.

The 18% tax on wheat and bread cancelled.

January 15

• Quba (Quba district) Population 155,600 All entrance and exits into the city are controlled by the police while people’s demands remain the same- jobs, prices and living conditions (watch video here - people are chanting "istefa" [Resign]).  
• Zobcuq settlement (Fizuli district) 

January 16 

• Aghcabedi 
• Fizuli (can watch video sent by Fizuli resident here)

January 17 

• Hovsan settlement in Baku

January 18

• Employees at Bina shopping center didn't show up at work today [January 18] demanding drop in rents leaving the mall management without any customers.  
• Jalilabad (Jalilabad district) Population 196,500 
• Shaghaci village (Astara district)   

January 20 

• In Ganja, online activists called into questioning as of January 17. According to AzadliqRadiosu, activists are told not to call for any protests and even stop "liking" any comments or other related posts 

January 21

• a group of owners went on a strike at the market for car sales situated on Babak avenue in the capital of Baku. They demanded that the market management decreased rent prices given manat devalued almost by half in the past year. The management complied this time, decreasing prices by 10%

January 25

• employees of Dashkasan Mining Factory came to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection demanding their salaries of the past two years- the employees say they have not been paid for the past two years.   
• also today a group of employees employed by AzerInshaat [construction company] gathered in front of the company headquarters demanding their unpaid salaries. Employees also protested last year October for the same reasons.  

January 26

• two more banks bid farewell today: United Credit Bank and NBC Bank's license was revoked  

January 27

• Two more banks lose their license in Azerbaijan: Caucasus Development Bank (Qafqaz Inkisaf Bank) and AtraBank 

January 28

• ParaBank says it won't issue any more loans  
• protests erupt in another town- Sumgayit. This time it were the shop owners at Karvan mall in Sumgayit. They were demanding that the mall management lowers the rents. They did by 30-50% however, they also said it's short term and will last for 3 months. 

***I took the population stats from here so apologies in advance if they are off.

The protest this time was against arrests carried out shortly after the first protest. Residents were demanding release of those arrested. 

Now, the government authorized total spending in the amount of AZN32billion for regions since 2004 as part of three different state programs:

2004-2008

2009-2013

and 2014-2018 

Where did the money go? Good question! The answer is clear when one visits many of the regions in Azerbaijan where the infrastructure is at its poorest. Not to mention the state of medical facilities in villages, and schools as well. 

The government also claims it has created some 2million new jobs. Where are these jobs? Another good question. The same question asked by many of the protesters of these past few days asking where are these jobs. But no avail. Instead of giving clear answers, the authorities issued arrests and sent in riot police to disperse crowds of peaceful residents demand jobs. 

The average salary in Azerbaijan today is AZN261.30. Following second devaluation and with the current exchange rate, that's about 154USD. 

We are yet to see of other regions join, but it is clear, people are hungry, this is what they keep saying into the very few cameras at the spot because none of the state media would report on the protests. 

Will Aliyev and his minions do something or will they continue to suppress its people while keeping others mute? 

We shall see. I just hope no one gets hurt.

Dispatches from Azerbaijan: protests, unemployment in Aliyevland

This is the moment when I would love to have my trolls all lined up in orderly fashion (although I doubt they have the skills for that) and shove it into their faces all the crap they have been giving me about "the real life in Azerbaijan". You know, the things they said about wonderful living conditions, prosperity and all the rest of the bull shit they liked to talk about. Frankly, it wasn't just them talking about, its all of the government officials.

But since I don't have this wonderful as it may be opportunity I will just share a few updates about whats happening in my lovely home and how desperate the situation really is -unlike the crap of trolls and government officials. 

Lets start with protests in regions. 

January 12, in several regions of Azerbaijan people took the streets. They were angry naturally. Their main complaint is unemployment and price hikes. 

Aghcabedi, Siyazan, Fuzuli, the city of Liman in Lenkoran region, Ujar are the regions where people took the streets. There are reports to prevent further uprising the authorities have sent internal troops to Sheki and Guba as well.

Authorities instead of addressing people's grievances resolved the matter the way they always do- force against its own people. Internal troops were sent into these towns. They were authorized to use force and so they did- tear gas was abundant and so were rubber bullets from what the pictures said. Which in fact is actually illegal but hey when did we hear anything legal happening in Azerbaijan?! 

In the meantime, one city official said the prices have gone down not just in one region but across the whole country- but she also said she doesn't know by how much because she doesn't go shopping- weird, I guess she has some kind of telepathic powers- she sees through the walls and the kilometers of land, visualizing shops with decreased prices.

But the prices are indeed growing and they have no intention of stopping. In a tea producing nation, a kilo of tea cost 4AZN but now it has gone up to 11AZN 80cents. Sack of flour costs 28AZN- the price has gone up by 10AZN. 

Surely the people would be angry. They have been living in these conditions for a long time now, it was just a matter of time until they exploded. And unless there are "ground breaking" reforms (i love that word, ground-breaking- yes lets break the ground so the officials responsible for bringing this country into its current state all fall down through the cracks and get lost) life will continue being tough for the average people. 

Because obviously something is really wrong in a country where people are unable to afford life. 

One of the protesters tried committing suicide. Because at the age of 38, the man is unable to provide bread for his family. Yes, that glitz and glamour you see in advertisements on TV and airports abroad, isn't all.

We are in far more shit people...

Most (if not all) exchange units closed. While the Central Bank says it is the result of high activity in currency exchange. A friend shared this picture today:

AzərTürkBank bu dəqiqə
Posted by Turxan Qarishga on Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Azerbaijani leadership desperately trying to fill up its depleted budget and is revamping its internal security

Fines, and lots of them is what Azerbaijani citizens are getting this year from Santa Aliyev. They are also getting new rubbish collecting trucks from China and completely restructured security agency. Oh, and the president decided to take a short break from all these changes. The man must have gotten tired signing all these new bills and decisions. 

Not so long ago, in one of his speeches the president Ilham Aliyev spoke of new reforms and changes he has envisaged for the people of Azerbaijan in 2016. So it is not surprising that slowly we are getting a glimpse of what the president and his busy bees have in mind. 

First present is trash collecting trucks from China. Will they keep the city clean? Or will the people continue throwing trash in the middle of the streets, in front of their apartments or living quarters? Well looks like the latter is going to be a lot more problematic but more on that in the section on fines (see below). 

Present number two is a revamped intelligence service. Yes yes... The President was unhappy that the ministry of National Security was spying on him and listening to his phone calls (Oops)- all allegedly that is. He was so shocked that he immediately decided to sack the minister as well as the minister of communication who was kindly providing the requested information (Oops again)- as if the president didn't know about this?! But sacking was not enough. So the President decided to completely get rid of the institution and instead create not one but two! So now Azerbaijan has its very own State Security Service and Foreign Intelligence Service! Beware proponents of freedom of expression and democracy- god knows what's going to happen to these folks now that there are two of these evil state structures. 

Third present is for the residents of Nardaran village. After the "secret operation" organized on November 26 in this Baku village residents are finally getting electricity and an extra bonus- gas. For over twenty years these people had no gas, but they will now. However, everything has a cost and so the Nardaran residents are paying dearly for these comforts. So much that they cannot see their wounded friends and family members as the latter are kept under strict control at the hospitals where they are treated. Also there is no information on whereabouts of those men who were arrested over the course of the past few days. 

Last and final present is for all the people but the government officials. It is strange that while the parliament was so kind to approve all these fines no one seemed to ask the question about fining police taking bribes, or government officials doing the same or the president's family who has stolen more than everyone in this country. Oh and in the meantime, no one seemed to ask the question how these bribes will be paid given the average salaries?! So here is a brief look (some of them I find ok though, like the smoking fines): 

• 30AZN- for smoking in non-smoking areas;
• 400AZN- for officials/owners of venues failing to hang "No Smoking" sign
• 1000AZN- for legal entities for failing to hang "No Smoking" sign
• 100AZN- for families whose kids will miss 7classes (to which one local resident in Baku said, by two grand children get sick often, getting doctor's permission also costs money -shhhh... this is illegal by the way but no one is fining that doctor or the clinic mind you!- so how am i supposed to provide for two grandchildren whose parents don't work)
• 10,000AZN- for illegal occupation of property and carrying out construction work on that property
• 3000AZN- for misusing the purpose of given property/land
• 10-20AZN- for not cleaning the communal space inside the residential buildings, in front of apartments, elevators and so on
• 100-150AZN- for officials (same as above)
• 1500-3000AZN- for participation in an illegal rally or up to 2 months in administrative detention
• 1000-2000AZN- for purchasing [in cash] of branded alcohol products with the purpose of sale/resale or one year of corrective work or arrest of up to one year. Repetition of this crime will be punishable by two years of corrective work or prison sentence in the same duration
• 100AZN- for failing to make a bank transfer or pay by card in the case of purchasing of tobacco products with the purpose of resale
• also tax payments have also increased now reaching 6-8% depending on the service

Happy New Year fellow Azerbaijanis. Soon even breathing will be fined. In the meantime, don't forget to enjoy the holiday spirit just be careful and make sure you clean up after.

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…" 

Eurovision, running scared when the music dies

This is my latest piece written for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso on this year's Eurovision host Azerbaijan. The original article can be accessed here.

Eurovision Running Scared When the Music Dies

'From Facebook to the streets of Baku'

The following is an excerpt from my recent article written for Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. 

Are the winds of the "Arab Spring" reaching Baku after all? A number of peaceful protests directly calling for the authorities to resign have stared in Azerbaijan, with the Internet playing a key role. The demonstrations have so far been met with repression, intimidation and new arrests. 

Earlier in March, a group of young and internet- savvy activists created a Facebook event page calling it "March 11th- Great People's Dat". In a short time, the group managed to gather thousands of supporters (more than 4,000) not only among independent activists and students but also among opposition party members. The Facebook page called on the Azerbaijani people to unite in demanding a change in the current regime. It was a loosely- organized structure with no leaders guiding the campaign and it did not have any clearly- defined set of actions. It served as a platform for young and independent activists, students, and opposition members, to discuss and share their ideas. It was the first nonviolent form of resistance in recent years that directly called on the authorities to resign[...]

You can read the rest of the article here.

No comment...

One question: if everything was great in Azerbaijan as certain people say it is, then why people would shout "Resignation" and protest?

Certainly, the vide below only justifies oppressive Azerbaijan regime and Azerbaijani police that acts on orders of the authorities.

One answer: nothing is great in Azerbaijan.

We are citizens of a different country

Another youth activist, was arrested today right from under the noses of his very own parents. Today, on March 8th, Rashadat Akhundov was sentenced to 5 days of imprisonment. And another activist, this time deputy chair of youth branch of an opposition party- Musavat, Sakhavat Soltanli was too arrested on March 8th. Soltanli was charged with auto- hooliganism. 

There are rumors that more activists will be arrested over the course of the next few days and any protests planned for March 11th, will be dispersed. 

It all seems out of this world- as if we are not citizens of this country but from somewhere else and so anything we say is used against us. Oh, wait a second, I think I know why, I have completely forgotten about it- we are all HOOLIGANS- and so the Azerbaijani authorities are punishing all its young hooligans on same charges (though I have to say auto hooliganism is something new). Its just there is this one thing- it looks funny from the outside- one huge and rich government is scared of its progressive youth?! Hmm... strange doesn't it?!