FB Digest@VoxPOPULI

 

“As long as the “iron fist” hovers like a nightmare over the Azerbaijani people, things could get even worse…”

(Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms

Jailed academician Fazil Gasimov’s brother Nazim Gasimov shared concerning news about the health condition of his brother. According to him, Fazil Gasimov Fazil Gasimov, who has been on a hunger strike for several weeks in protest of his wrongful arrest, is now unable to walk or speak due to severe weight loss. Nazim Gasimov: “I went to visit Fazil. Since Fazil was too weak to come to the meeting, they took me to the lawyer’s room near where he was staying. They brought Fazil into the lawyer’s room in a wheelchair. We had just started talking for about 5-10 minutes when Fazil fainted. With the little strength he had, he managed to say, ‘Call a doctor.’ I shouted and ran to the duty area; people around came, and the chief arrived as well. We took him outside into the fresh air while waiting for the doctor. When the doctor arrived, they measured his blood pressure, which was 30/50. An injection was administered, and he gradually regained consciousness. They kept measuring his blood pressure frequently, and eventually, it reached 50/80. I stayed with him outside in the open air for almost four hours. No matter how much I begged, he refused to eat. He is determined to continue his hunger strike. His weight has dropped to 38.5 kg. Gubad Ibadoglu’s lawyer, Bahruz, arrived and he also asked Fazil to eat, but it was to no avail. Fazil’s final words before we left were, ‘I have not committed any crime; I have done nothing against the state.'”

On August 31, the Sabail District Court reviewed a request to place Igbal Abilov, a young researcher of Talysh ethnic origin who had recently returned from Belarus, under house arrest. The request was denied. Abilov was detained on July 22 and faces charges under several articles of the Criminal Code: Article 274 (high treason), Article 281.3 (public calls against the state directed by foreign organizations or their representatives), and Article 283.1 (incitement of national, racial, social, or religious hatred and enmity). Abilov is a co-founder of the “Talysh National Academy,” established in Riga in 2010, which focuses on the Talysh language from socio-economic, historical, ethnographic, archaeological, literary, and linguistic perspectives. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the “Talysh National Academy News,” a platform that publishes Talysh folklore, unpublished historical documents related to the Talysh people, and previously unreleased works of early researchers.

The court denied the release of paralyzed activist Famil Khalilov. Today, a preparatory hearing was held at the Baku Serious Crimes Court for Khalilov, a first-group disabled and paralyzed activist. The hearing, chaired by Judge Azer Taghiyev, revealed that Khalilov had not been given a copy of the indictment. Khalilov asserted that he was not a “charged” individual but rather a “victimized” one. Lawyers Fariz Namazli, Behruz Bayramov, and Fakhreddin Mehdiyev, citing Khalilov‘s severe disability, filed a petition for his house arrest. They argued that Khalilov does not consider himself guilty, plans to seek acquittal, and thus has no reason to evade the court. They also noted that since his deportation from Sweden a year ago for health reasons, he has remained confined to his home and lacks the physical capacity to hide. Khalilov has been on a hunger strike since August 15 in protest of his unjust detention and has refused to end the strike, explaining that resuming eating would require meeting natural needs that are nearly impossible given his current condition. Despite these arguments, the prosecutor opposed the petition, and the court did not grant Khalilov‘s request for house arrest.

Recently in Azerbaijan, besides those detained in the recent crackdown, more than 300 civil society representatives have had their exit from the country restricted. The expansion of persecution against civil society figures followed the initiation of a criminal case against “Abzas Media” employees in November 2023. In March of this year, staff members of “Toplum TV,” founders of the III Republic Platform, and numerous other public activists were primarily arrested on charges of “smuggling.” The crackdown has not been confined to arrests. Many journalists and civil society representatives who have served as witnesses in these cases have also faced restrictions on their right to leave the country. Police and State Security Service operations frequently involve such restrictions as a standard procedure, often implemented without court orders.

Snap Parliamentary Elections

On September 1, Azerbaijan held snap parliamentary elections. Following the announcement of the preliminary results, the 125 members of parliament for the next five years are expected to be determined across the districts. However, video evidence submitted to independent media outlets and circulated on social media indicates that the elections were marred by widespread fraud and violations. The images reveal instances of individuals voting multiple times at different polling stations. There is considerable evidence of ballot stuffing, along with reports of observers, candidates, their representatives, and journalists being forcibly removed from polling stations. Despite these issues, Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) stated that it had not received any reports of rule violations. Similarly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not issued any statements regarding these violations. These snap parliamentary elections were scheduled by President Ilham Aliyev’s decree on June 28. Polling stations opened at 8:00 AM and remained open until 7:00 PM, with 990 candidates vying for 125 parliamentary seats.

Among the electoral districts, the 70th Neftchala Electoral District was the most controversial and scandal-ridden. In this district, a scandal emerged involving mobile ballot boxes. Independent candidate Vafa Naghi uncovered a significant number of these boxes and claimed that the associated documentation was mishandled. She alleges that votes are being cast for citizens who did not actually come to vote through these methods. Additionally, Vafa Naghi reported that she was slapped by a representative of another candidate, Tenzile Rustamkhanli, who is supported by the ruling party. Naghi stated that at polling station number 40, Rustamkhanli’s representative, Huseyn Gurbanov, provoked her, slapped her, and threw her phone on the ground. Election day at polling station number 40 in the 70th Neftchala Electoral District began with tension while there were efforts to remove Vafa Naghi and journalists from the polling station.  

At polling stations in the 15th Yasamal First Constituency, observers faced abuse. An observer at polling station number 21 was threatened and insulted for sharing evidence of electoral fraud on social media. Other observers found ballots marked with the name of former MP Ulvi Guliyev at the polling stations located in School No. 21. Yasaman Mahmudova, a candidate from the 42nd Sumgayit First Electoral District, described the incidents she encountered, saying that that four people were stationed at the entrances of polling stations, directing incoming voters. Speaking about carousel operations, Mahmudova notes that people were brought in from Baku and other places to vote at the Sumgayit polling stations.

Chairperson of the National Council of Democratic Forces Jamil Hasanli said that Sunday’s parliamentary elections were the worst since the early 2000s. Hasanli: “Today, we met with the OSCE ODIHR observation mission, also known as the Warsaw Bureau. They have arrived with a team of 60 people to observe the September 1 elections. I told them that there is no such thing as a real election in Azerbaijan, so I don’t know what they plan to observe. Even those who usually advocate for elections and those who criticized us for not participating are now admitting that there is no real election. During the first meeting, I informed the participants that the election on September 1 was unconstitutional. A snap can only be held under specific circumstances. This issue is regulated by Article 98.1 of the Azerbaijani Constitution. At the moment, there is no specific circumstance that necessitates snap elections. So far, this is the worst election in the last 30 years. As long as the “iron fist” hovers like a nightmare over the Azerbaijani people, things could get even worse.” Hasanli also mentioned that he received a voting notice addressed to someone who lived at his address 25 years ago and has since moved abroad. Since then, the apartment’s ownership has changed twice, and the Hasanli are the third owners of the property.

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