FB Digest@VoxPOPULI

 

“Azerbaijan is a monarchy with an electoral system…”

(Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms

Adil Baba, a member of the Popular Front Party (AXCP), tragically succumbed to the relentless police and administrative persecution, pressures, and threats, ultimately taking his own life. Like many others in the Party, Adil was constantly targeted. Recently, he received compensation from the government following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights regarding previous persecutions. Reports indicate that he and his family faced regular threats reminiscent of incidents like those in the Tartar massacre. Just days before his suicide, he confided to his wife, “If I take my own life, please forgive me.” His friends and family believe that relentless persecution drove him to this tragic end. Adil became another victim of the pervasive police regime in the country, unable to endure the pressures and paying the ultimate price, said the Party chairman Ali Karimli. Party members said that the cruel persecution against Adil Baba began two months ago, on April 28, 2024. On that day, the AXCP Sabirabad branch held an expanded assembly, an expanded meeting of the Popular Front’s district organization, which was under total persecution throughout the country, at Adil Baba’s home. In a time of escalating repression, this tumultuous assembly challenged the authorities, almost confronting them. Photos and videos from the assembly spread widely on social networks. The authorities, concerned about the gathering of three individuals in one place, were almost shocked that the opposition party had managed to organize a gathering. As a result, they mobilized all administrative resources against the Sabiraband branch of the Party. Many of those who attended the event were dismissed from their jobs, threatened with their families and relatives, detained for 30 days in administrative custody, and defamed in news portals. Due to the growing pressure, the Party’s Sabirabad branch also issued a statement. The authorities, unwilling to consent to any meeting, identified the house where the assembly was held and directed all pressure towards the homeowner, Adil Baba. As a result, two days later, without sending any notice, representatives of the village executive and military commissariat officials brought Adil directly to Baku for a military medical examination. Due to several illnesses, Adil had been deemed unfit for military service. However, despite this, a military doctor said, “You are assigned, so you must go serve in the army. Because you are going against the government.”

Chairperson of the National Council of Democratic Forces (Milli Shura) Jamil Hasanli commented on the tragic and untimely death of Adil Baba, accusing the regime of the death of a young Party member: “The feudal kleptocratic and criminal regime of the Aliyev family has destroyed yet another life, left another family without its head, extinguished the light of another home, and left two young children orphaned. Adil is neither the first nor the last victim. The tragic story of Adil Baba’s short life is a heart-wrenching one. His sorrowful story is not just personal but carries a public significance.”

SOCAR‘s engineer Elman Abdullayev, from the Gas Preprocessing and Compressor Facilities Department located at the Oil Rocks of the “28 May” Oil and Gas Production Department, has complained about the quality of the food offered to oil workers. Abdullayev says that instead of addressing their concerns about food quality, attempts are being made to gather statements against him and hinder his work in every possible way. According to the oil worker, who contacted Meydan TV, he has been working in this department since 2010. “Employees have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with ‘Khazeriasha’ LLC, the provider of catering service. On April 12, despite the deputy chief and the superintendent responsible for social affairs rejecting the demand to inspect the food storage, they eventually agreed after numerous requests,” the complainant said. According to him, during the inspection of the food conducted by the deputy chief, several engineers, and workers from the station, they found approximately 70-80 kilograms of processed meat products without quality certificates, including blood-stained and unidentified meat wrapped in plastic. They also found parts of leftover chicken from the previous day’s menu that were to be added to the next day’s menu, along with other food items. An official report was drafted on the spot regarding these findings. The workers demanded the disposal of the identified meat and other food items.

The family members of Mirjafar Huseynzade, a resident of Gazakh, claim that he was framed and imprisoned after filing a complaint with the President, leaving his five young children in a dire situation. Mirjafar Huseynzade has been detained for over three months on drug charges and is currently held at Ganja Detention Center No. 2. His mother, seventy-four-year-old Sakina Mammadova, told Meydan TV, that her son is a second-degree disabled person. According to her, 47-year-old Mirjafar Huseynzade suffers from a mental illness and has received treatment multiple times in psychiatric hospitals in Baku, Sumgait, and Gazakh: “He fell from a swing as a child, and his mental health deteriorated after that. Additionally, he has other health issues. He has only one kidney, and one of his heart valves doesn’t function. He has five young children. The oldest is 11, and the youngest, who was born after his arrest, is 2 months old. By framing and imprisoning the head of a family in such a condition, what do you gain besides guilt? Do the officials feel pleasure when those children and that mentally ill, half-dead man suffer?” Sakina Mammadova said that her son, struggling to support his family due to unemployment, appealed to the President through a video. In his appeal, he complained about the head of the Gazakh District Executive Authority and his first deputy: “A while ago, following the order of the head of the executive authority, my son was arrested and sent to a psychiatric hospital. This time, he was framed with drugs. They also spread rumors that Mirjafar had sent the news of the Gazakh police chief’s son causing an accident. He is a sick man; how would he know who caused what and where?”

Snap Parliamentary Elections

Early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan have been scheduled for September 1, 2024. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree regarding this matter. According to the decree, the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan (parliament) has been dissolved. The plenary session of the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan was held regarding early elections. The Court examined the legality of the President’s dissolution of the National Assembly and the scheduling of snap and gave a positive response. The previous parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, held on February 9, 2020, were also conducted as snap elections.

Chairperson of the National Council of Democratic Forces (Milli Shura) Jamil Hasanli said that the decision to dissolve the Milli Majlis and the subsequent ruling by the Constitutional Court on this matter is unconstitutional. Hasanli: “These are not legal decisions but political ones. Firstly, the Milli Majlis cannot decide to dissolve itself. There is no self-dissolution procedure outlined in the Constitution. The Milli Majlis cannot be dissolved due to COP-29 and other international events. The procedure for dissolving the Majlis is regulated by Article 98.1 of the Constitution, which clearly outlines the conditions under which the Milli Majlis can be dissolved. There is no connection between the decision made by the Constitutional Court yesterday and Article 98.1, which regulates the dissolution procedure. None of the reasons specified in the Constitution are currently applicable. The Constitutional Court’s decision represents a blatant violation of the Constitution it is supposed to protect and contradicts its relevant article. Unfortunately, the Constitutional Court responded to the parliament’s appeal politically rather than legally, issuing a political rather than a legal decision. The parliament could only be dissolved based on the grounds specified in Article 98.1, none of which are present. Dissolving the Milli Majlis and holding snap elections due to COP-29 and other international events is unconstitutional and constitutes a gross violation of the laws. Additionally, the decision to extend the quarantine until October 1 should also be considered in this context.”

Stefan Schennach, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said the following regarding the upcoming snap parliamentary elections: “A single-family rules Azerbaijan. The upcoming parliamentary elections will not be democratic either. Azerbaijan is a monarchy with an electoral system.” In his interview with Radio Liberty, Schennach also said: “Early elections usually serve the interests of the ruling party. Participation in elections requires finances. The ruling party misuses administrative resources. We have seen this in other countries as well. If the ruling party proposes early elections, it means they will likely misuse existing resources. The next elections will not be transparent because many people are imprisoned, including Anar Mammadli, who monitors the elections. One family rules the country. Aliyev is a member of this family; he appointed his wife as vice president, took the presidency from his father, and his son will most likely be the next president.”

In Azerbaijan, the week started with increased prices of certain commodities and services, including gasoline and fares. As per the Tariff Council’s decision, the retail price of AI-92 gasoline per liter was raised by 0.1 AZN to 1.1 AZN ($0.647). Simultaneously, diesel fuel prices increased by 0.2 AZN, reaching 1 AZN ($0.6) per liter. This adjustment reflects the higher fuel costs associated with transitioning to EURO-5 standards.  

Activist Nigar Hezi commented on the price hikes, stating: “I wonder if the increase in bus and metro fares will also affect the prices for those bus riders ( fake opposition)? The increase in the prices of gasoline, diesel, and transportation fares indicates that sitting in parliament will again be through appointment, not election. Instead of implementing reforms before the elections, the government is making decisions that worsen the people’s living conditions. The situation is becoming increasingly unbearable.”

Altay Goyushov, director of Baku Research Institute, commented as follows: “The fare for a single trip is 0, 50 manat. Naturally, a person does not make just one trip per day. Firstly, you need to return from where you went, which means two trips, or 1 manat, and in 30 days, it amounts to 30 manat. Additionally, a significant number of people have to take the bus or metro multiple times a day. In other words, using public transportation in Warsaw is significantly cheaper than here. However, the minimum wage in Poland is 1800 manat, while in Azerbaijan, it is 345 manat. The average monthly salary in Warsaw is 3800 manat, while in Baku, according to official figures, it is 1282 manat. When the country is looted instead of being governed, we end up in our current situation.”

Chairperson of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP) Ali Karimli shared his thoughts regarding increased prices. He questioned whether the government would have dared to raise the prices of gasoline, diesel fuel, and public transportation fares during the election campaign if there were genuine elections and a free competition environment in Azerbaijan. “Have you ever seen a government anywhere in the world that goes to elections while raising the prices of gasoline, diesel fuel, and public transportation fares? Of course not. Everywhere in the world, voters are very sensitive to price increases, especially for gasoline and diesel fuel. So, how is it that Ilham Aliyev sets the parliamentary elections for September 1, and two days later, they increase the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel? They can do this because they no longer regard the people as people. They are confident that they have deprived all of us of our rights. They are preparing not to hold elections on September 1, but to organize an election show. They will fill the ballot boxes themselves and write the numbers they want in the protocols. In short, they are reminding us once again that, to have cheap gasoline, child benefits, accessible quality education and healthcare, and an end to torture and politically motivated arrests, we all need to ‘get involved in politics,’ become active citizens, and reclaim our usurped rights.”

Azadlig Newspaper has reported that food consumption in Azerbaijan has disastrously declined. The State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan has released its report on per capita food consumption for 2023, indicating that the consumption of various food types continues to decrease. The data shows that the consumption of several essential foods remains significantly below international standards, heightening concerns about food security and nutrition in the country. Agricultural expert Vahid Maharramov addressed this issue in his article, stating, “The level of food consumption is very low and continues to decline.”

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