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."

Happy Women's Day in a not so happy world

I come from an ex- Soviet country. March 8th, was a big thing back home. In fact, it still is. I think its a holiday even. But when I think of women at home and women all around the world, there is not much happiness that I see out there waiting for them. At home, women are subject to domestic violence, speaking of gender equality makes one automatically a feminist and overall respect for women only comes when she becomes a mother and reaches the age of 60 or 70. 

We also have this heavy burden of something called honor and though perhaps not as severe as it is in Turkey (where honor killings is a popular practice) there are cases of violence against women or punishment for simply lets say crossing paths with a young boy.

The other day, as I was strolling down the streets of Baku, I witnessed how a young man (somewhere around in his 20s) was slapping his female friend (probably his wife). There were three men who passed by, but no one said anything. I stopped, watched him for a while, scream and shout at her (I thought my presence there, would make him stop but I was wrong) when I finally asked him why is he beating her up? He was taken by a surprise. "She betrayed me" was his first response. "I work day and night, for her and yet she lies to me" he then added, to which crying young woman lifted her head and said it wasn't true. I tried explaining to him that this is not right, and that he should apologize and they should try talking. He listened carefully, but I don't know what happened next. I watched him walk away but what happened later, nobody knows. 

And so on the day like today, thinking of that young woman sitting on the ground, crying, I wish and hope for no violence against women, equality and respect, and support to women all around the world. We all are born equal in this world, and we should all fight (men including) violence against women and demand equal rights for women. Happy Women's Day!