Center for National and International Studies
FB Digest@VoxPOPULI
“Citizens of other countries are still able to enter Azerbaijan via land borders, meaning that the closure only applies to Azerbaijani citizens, which violates the country’s Constitution.”
(Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms
On September 25, the trial of human rights activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev continued at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev filed a motion stating that he does not wish to participate in the upcoming court hearings due to reasons such as the “artificial prolongation of the process” and the “rejection of all motions.” Hajiyev was arrested in December 2022. At that time, he was charged under Article 221.2.2 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism with resistance against a person protecting public order) and Article 289.1 (contempt of court). It is alleged that an incident occurred between him and Ulviyya Alovlu (Muradova) at the Yasamal District Court. According to the accusation, during the incident, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev also used violence against enforcement officer Orkhan Abdullayev. On June 16 of last year, new charges were brought against the activist, mainly related to financial matters, specifically the alleged misuse of allocated grants. He was also charged under Articles 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 193-1 (legalization of property obtained through criminal means), 206 (smuggling), and 320 (use of forged documents) of the Criminal Code. In November of the same year, another charge was filed against him under Article 213.1 (tax evasion) of the Criminal Code. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev denies all of these charges.
The mother of imprisoned young scholar Fazil Gasimov has publicly expressed her concerns about her son’s situation.”For months, I haven’t been able to sleep. I am in a state of constant anxiety. Every time my eldest son Nazim calls me or reaches out, the fear overwhelms me. I always think he’s going to deliver the news of Fazil’s death. Can you imagine what it’s like for a mother to live with the fear of hearing her son’s death at any moment? It’s been over 100 days since Fazil began his hunger strike. No matter how hard we try, how much we beg, it’s no use; he continues. We are helpless, defenseless, and alone—truly, we are. When we fled from Kalbajar to Mingachevir as refugees, Fazil was just a little child. We raised our three sons and one daughter with great difficulty, in a single room of a dormitory, together with their late father. Fazil got into university without any outside help and achieved excellent results, later going to Turkey. I had hoped he would further develop his skills and serve his people, his homeland, his state. But ill-wishers didn’t allow it. They falsely accused my innocent child and locked him up.” Gasimov was arrested in Istanbul on August 8, 2023, and brought to Azerbaijan, where he faced accusations of producing counterfeit currency alongside prominent economist and government critic Gubad Ibadoglu. At present, Gasimov’s criminal case is being processed separately from that of Gubad Ibadoglu. Gasimov denies all the accusations against him and has been on hunger strike for more than 100 days.
The Azerbaijani government is facing criticism from international human rights organizations for its long-standing pressures and persecution of journalists and civil society ahead of the UN climate conference. “Governments participating in the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP29 must fulfill their human rights obligations,” said a question-and-answer document released today by Human Rights Watch. “This is now the third year in a row that COP is being held in a repressive state that severely restricts freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Governments attending COP29 in Azerbaijan should be prepared to deliver a clear message on the importance of critical voices for fair and ambitious climate action,” said Mirto Tilianaki, Senior Environmental Advocate at Human Rights Watch. In the statement, the organization noted that Azerbaijan’s authoritarian government does not tolerate dissent. In recent months, it has carried out repressions against independent journalists and civil society activists.
Activist Anar Abdulla has been summoned to the Baku Main Police Department (BŞBPİ). The activist himself shared this information. “I was invited to give a statement as a witness at BŞBPİ on September 26 at 15:00. No information was provided about the criminal case it pertains to,” the activist wrote on his Facebook account. Since the criminal case initiated against “Abzas Media” staff in November 2023, the persecution of civil society representatives in the country has intensified. Since that time, journalists and civil society activists in Azerbaijan have been consistently arrested and summoned to the police for questioning within the framework of various criminal cases. Local and international human rights organizations consider these arrests to be politically motivated, calling for an end to the harassment and pressure on civil society activists and journalists.
On September 23, the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan released a new list of political prisoners in the country. According to the news agency “Turan,” the list includes 319 individuals. The list was compiled by Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and Elshan Hasanov, head of the Center for Monitoring Political Prisoners. Hasanov noted that since the publication of the previous list, two individuals from the “religious activists” category—Alik Aslanov and Elshan Abbasov—have been released. However, 18 new political prisoners have been added to the updated list. Among those added are Razi Alishov, an activist from the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (AXCP) convicted on drug-related charges; young economist Fazil Gasimov; researchers Bahruz Samadov and Iqbal Abilov; and former diplomat Emin Ibrahimov. Additionally, 13 more religious activists were included in the list. Hasanov explained that the 319 political prisoners are categorized into 10 groups, with two new groups being established. The “Ethnic Minorities” group includes recently arrested Iqbal Abilov, as well as two previously listed members of the Talysh ethnic minority, blogger Aslan Gurbanov and Ruslan Vahabov. The newly created “Anti-War Activists” group includes Bahruz Samadov and Emin Ibrahimov. The largest group remains the “Religious Activists” group, now consisting of 227 political prisoners.
In Azerbaijan, the special quarantine regime has been extended for another three months. The Cabinet of Ministers made the decision to continue the quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection and its potential consequences within the country. According to the decision, the special quarantine regime will remain in effect until 6:00 a.m. on January 1, 2025. Previously, it was set to last until October 1, 2024. Since 2020, Azerbaijan has implemented a quarantine regime due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case of coronavirus in the country was recorded on February 28, 2020, and the special quarantine regime was announced starting on March 24 of that year. Currently, all restrictions have been lifted in Azerbaijan, with the exception of the country’s land borders, which remain closed.
On September 23, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the issue of keeping the country’s land borders closed. In his speech at parliament, Aliyev claimed that in recent years, the closure of land borders has protected Azerbaijan from significant disasters.
Ali Karimli, Chairperson of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP), responded to the president’s speech, criticizing him for not offering justifiable reasons for the country’s closed land borders. “How can a person who has led the country consecutively for 21 years stand before the people and say that we still haven’t learned how to control border checkpoints? Today, during a speech in front of the Milli Majlis, which he personally appointed, Ilham Aliyev stated: “The closure of our land borders saved us from great disasters.” So, what are the country’s Border Troops and the countless special services responsible for? What is preventing the proper and more careful inspection of “dangerous” individuals entering the country through land borders? How do we know that these “dangerous” individuals cannot enter our country by plane? You say that those arriving by plane are checked, so why aren’t those arriving by land borders checked as well? If the authorities have not yet managed to organize effective control at the country’s border checkpoints, they should first apologize to the people. Because the government’s inability to fulfill this basic responsibility has been causing suffering to millions of Azerbaijanis for years. The government should finally learn, even if late, how to control land borders. How do Russia and Ukraine, which are in the midst of a severe war, manage to control their land borders? How does Turkey, which has nearly 10 million migrants, is fighting against 3-4 terrorist organizations and shares borders with some of the world’s hottest conflict zones, manage its land borders? If you can’t do it, learn how or step away from tasks you cannot handle. In any case, millions of Azerbaijanis should not have to suffer because of the government’s incompetence. The land borders must be opened.”
Economist Azer Gasimli also commented on the president’s speech at the parliament saying that it is unconstitutional to close the land border only for Azerbaijani citizens but keep it open for foreigners. “At today’s speech, Ilham Aliyev himself exposed the lie the government has been telling over the years about this issue. Until now, they have been claiming that the land borders were closed due to the coronavirus. Now, they are linking it to external risks. They could say something entirely different tomorrow. Secondly, when the land borders were open, were they not being protected, or should they not be protected? What difference does it make whether a person enters the country via land borders or by air? In any case, border control involves checking documents and belongings. Those who intend to enter illegally don’t care whether the borders are open or closed. Protecting borders and closing borders are completely different things. They are deliberately conflating these two issues to manipulate the narrative.”Gasimli argues that if the president speaks of external risks, he should specify them. He points out that while global risks are prevalent, and Azerbaijan is located in a volatile region, it does not justify the indefinite closure of land borders. He questions whether risks would necessitate closing air borders as well, sarcastically suggesting that Azerbaijan might as well completely isolate itself like North Korea or Turkmenistan. Gasimli highlights that Azerbaijan already has customs and border checkpoints, and if something illicit is being smuggled, it can happen whether the borders are officially closed or not. The economist also notes that citizens of other countries are still able to enter Azerbaijan via land borders, meaning that the closure only applies to Azerbaijani citizens. According to statistics, thousands of people have crossed into Azerbaijan through land borders in the past four years. He argues that subjecting Azerbaijani citizens to such restrictions violates the country’s Constitution, as foreigners entering the country still undergo checks, just as citizens should.
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September 27, 2024