Center for National and International Studies

 

FB Digest@VoxPOPULI                                      

                                                                                                                                                                         02.11.2019

The most shared topics these days were: hitting by car of the prominent human rights activist Ogtay Gulaliyev, the exhibition and literary contest devoted to former chair of Supreme Soviet Yevgeni Primakov in the Institute of Slavic Languages in Baku, continued repressions post 19 th October rally and pre-9 November rally, the substance of announced course on “reforms” by authorities,   the recognition of Armenian genocide by the US Congress and the speech of the “foreign minister” of Nagorno Karabagh there the next day, appointment of the new head of presidential administration.

The FB users actively discuss and share videos and photos with the moment of the car “accident” with the human rights defender Ogtay Gulaliyev. The leaders of political parties, human defenders, activists and journalists share the alarming information, that authorities are covering the crime against him, that the surgery was at least 6 hours delayed, and that he has been in coma already for 5 days. His son wrote few days earlier on his timeline in English:

 “Yesterday at 10:40 my father was transferred from “Semashka” to “City Hospital”. Even though he was passed through to MRT Scan in “Semashka” hospital, the result of that denied to given us.

Yesterday at 3am when l have shared the news of his condition that the City Hospital said Oktay Gülalıyev is in deep sleep that they couldn’t wake him up in any way, it turned out that he was in a coma state! Despite the fact that my mum has demanded several times since the night, my father was not passed through to the MRT Scan (medical check-up) in the hospital.

At already 5am, we were informed that the level of internal bleeding in his brain has intensified, he had arm spasticity and a fever. They promised that they will scan him in MRT at 7am. However, they didn’t. When my mom has seen my father at around 8am, his condition was critical, his left eye already affected by the internal bleeding. Only when his condition remained so critical, they passed him through MRT and, immediately taken him to the emergency room and began to the surgery AT 12 am.

Neurosergeons which came from another hospital to aid in the operation, have later told my mother that he was actually in a coma before he was taken for the surgery! They have taken an intracranial hematoma (blood) out of the brain, his bone flap temporarily, and have done whatever they could.

The question is that FOR WHAT REASONS they kept delaying my father’s medical check-up for 13 hours until 12am in City Hospital, and only intervened when his condition was so critical and blood pressure has destroyed many of his brain cells? Because this was ordered directly by the Azerbaijani government, intended to totally cripple my father so that he is not “harmful” anymore!!

I am furious that they are literally killing my father in front of our eyes and l could not do anything apart from giving an information….

O fcourse we will act to hold every government officials accountable who has been involved in my father’s case!!

Please, take a look at also to the second person in the video which l have previously shared. It is not possible to have this much coincidence together.”

The FB users bring more arguments that it was not an accident, which resulted in Gulaliyev’s brain injury and haemorrhage   but the deliberate attempt on his life because of his human rights activities. One of the argument is that in the hospital for  prolonged time he was not given a medical help, and the surgery was most probably belated -his son reports that after the surgery he remains in coma. The journalist in exile Cingiz Sultansoy, blogger Mehman Huseynov list and show indicators on video suggesting that it was a deliberate attempt to life of Gulaliyev. The FB users share the appeal to donate for his treatment which will last no less than 6 months. They also report that the businessman Mubariz Mansimov, the head of Palmali group,  expressed his readiness to support his treatment.

https://www.facebook.com/Eli.Gulaliyev/videos/2502408009872537/?t=3

The FB users express a  lot of indignancy in connection to the exhibition and contest devoted to Yevgeni Primakov. It is reminded that he was in power responsible for the decision of sending troops to Azerbaijan resulting in hundreds of killed and injured.  The political analyst in exile Ramis Yunus  speaks: “ Now you know who is in power in our country? For the family of Aliyev only personal relations and friendships matter, for which they are ready to sacrifice the national interests. But we are to blame, as we have a short memory.”The journalist in exile Ismayil Jalil comments that the blame is on the president, who allowed such an exhibition to take place. Ilkin Rustamzade, the leader of the youth movement NIDA, shares Giyas Ibrahimov, former graffiti prisoner’s words that those who were shouting and asserting “Honour,  pride  etc.” before 19 year old girls, now when the real insult of nation is taking place keep silence.

The journalist Nurlan Libre reports about the opposition Musavat Party’s notification of the authorities  of the public rally on the 10^th November, where it suggests three possible venues for the meeting: Mehsul stadium, the square in front of the Stadium named after Tofig Bahramov, and the square in front of the subway station Darnagul. The letter also notes that the restoration works on Mehsul stadium will not be an obstacle to the rally.

The issue of the old MPs continue to be discussed and is the topic of jokes and sarcasm. Hadi Rajabli is again quoted by Meydan TV, as saying:” The MPs should be somewhat older, and I want to be the MP again” . Opposition activist Yadigar Sadyghli writes with irony about MPs Arif Rahimzade, who earlier said that in spite of his  age he swims long distances, that if he is appointed the director of the National Bank the rate of manat will float as well as Rahimzade. The opposition leader Ikbal Agazade suggests that the leadership of the Defence Ministry who failed until now to return Karabagh should also resign. People widely share and comment on a new replacement for Ramiz Mehdiyev as the head of presidential administration Samir Nuriyev, who is 44 years old and studied in the US. The comments are full of irony, that this government appoints only relatives ( he is a relative of newly appointed Minister of Economy Mikail Jabbarov and his former deputy). Musavat newspaper reports about the house of the late president Elchibey being repaired by the first lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

Lawyer Alesger Mammadli qualifies actions of the government in connection with the recent events as the ones which are in violation both of the national constitution and  the international conventions which the country signed. The electronic publication Argument.az quotes his words about the current situation: No rule of law, no justice, no humanity”.

Journalist in exile Natiq Adilov recalls with irony that when Jamil Hasanli spoke about the fake candidate Hafiz  Hajiyev  in 2013 that his level is the same as the president Aliyev, he responded: “You are of low level yourself”, thus admitting before the millions, that the level of them both is low. Something similar, he writes, happened in the court, when in response of  Seymur Hazi mentioning president Aliyev, he was told by the judge not to use “ unethical expressions”.

The FB users continue to share the photos of the young people died on military duty during the 16 aprel 2016 escalation on the Karabagh front.

The users also share the information about death of prominent Soviet dissident Bukovski, his legacies, and influence. The Musavat activist Yadigar Sadyghli  wrote a status about him, as of a person who spent 12 years of his life in psychiatric hospitals and prisons, and recalled the  popular saying reflecting his eventual exchange for the Chilean leader Luis Corvalan: “They exchanged a hooligan for Luis Corvalan”. (as the most frequent criminal code article of charging Bukovski  was “ hooliganism”)

The panel in Washington DC at the National Press Club with participation of Azerbaijani opposition leader Jamil Hasanli and journalists Sevinc Osmangizi and Arif Raufoglu, as well as representative of Amnesty International Advocacy director for Europe and Central Asia Daniel Balson focused on the repressions in Azerbaijan on the 19^th-20^th October and Azerbaijan’s “new era”. Jamil Hasanli stated that the only way to influence the authorities is to apply sanctions.

Continued repressions are widely discussed and shared. The sentence of administrative detention for the journalist Seymur Hezi ( who was recently released after 5 years in prison) was increased from 15 to 30 days. Gozel Bayramli ( PFP activist and former political prisoner) posts on her timeline, that his father brought warm clothes to the detention center in Binagadi district of Baku, where they keep him,  but they did not let him pass the clothes to his son. He called the 102 number, but they said that it was not under their responsibility. The father still stood in front of the prison when this issue was prepared. The daughter of another detained activist and participant of the 19^th October rally Tofig Yagublu – Nigar Hezi reports that the appeal court today upheld the court decision regarding her father in the first instance. The FB users widely share the video with the detailed information about tortures of Karabagh war participant and opposition activist Tofig Yagublu.   Azadlyq newspaper lists the names of the activists who were arrested on the 31^st of October in anticipation of the rally on the 2^th of November. Emin Maniyev, Aydin Isayev, Fuad Gahramanli, Javid Ibrahimov,Vahid Ibrahimli ( all of Popular Front Party or National Council) – were detained in various situations- either in the street, or at work place, or else. Due to the mass detentions before the planned rally, the National Council leaders announced their decision to postpone the meeting. However, the activists to protect the organizers were spreading the information about the possible meeting with the hashtag “I am the organizer”. The FB users share and comment on detention of journalist Hezi Bey right on the street today charging his with hooliganism. Gozel Bayramli ( PFP activist and former political prisoner) posts on her timeline, that the journalist’s father brought warm clothes to the detention center in Binagadi district of Baku, where they keep him,  but they did not let him pass the clothes to his son. He called the 102 number, but they said that it was not under their responsibility. The father still stood in front of the prison when this issue was prepared.

The chair of the Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli, comments on FB with irony: “ “The president’s course of reforms deepened so much, that they already arrest people before the actual rally… By now the number of activists arrested in connection with the 19^th October and the planned meeting on the 2n November reached 37 people. The glorious pages of the struggle with the authoritarian regime are written by specific individuals. Let’s not forget them and demand their freedom!”.

The political activist ( leader of ADR movement) and economist, currently working in the US Gubad Ibadoglu posted on his timeline an information about the government planning to spend 75 mln 945 thousand 54 manat from the national budget to the upcoming parliamentary elections next year.

The FB users shared the posting by one of them: “ The shortest joke of the year 2019 : Reforms!”

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