FB Digest@VoxPOPULI

 

“The quarantine regime gives additional opportunities to arrest people on false charges. Creating a closed society is the ideal of the family-feudal regime…”

(Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms

The health condition of Anar Mammadli, the imprisoned head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS), has deteriorated, according to his relatives who visited him recently. Mammadli, who suffers from obstructive bronchitis, had been receiving treatment and regular inhalation therapy prior to his imprisonment. However, the lack of access to fresh air in prison has worsened his condition, leading to shortness of breath and choking episodes. Additionally, Mammadli suffers from severe back pain due to intervertebral herniation, a condition diagnosed two years ago. The pain has intensified because he is unable to use a special orthopedic mattress, which his family provided but the Investigation Detention Center’s leadership refused to accept. As a result, the conditions of Mammadli‘s detention have become a source of torture, exacerbating his back pain and depriving him of the fresh air he needs.

On June 24, the Baku Court of Appeals reviewed the appeal against the extension of the detention of journalist Nargiz Absalamova, who was arrested in connection with the “Abzas Media case.” According to Absalamova‘s lawyer, Rovshana Rahimli, the court, presided over by Judge Afghan Alekberov, upheld the decision of the Khatai District Court, which had extended the journalist’s detention on June 11. Rahimli stated that the decision was baseless and illegal.

Since May, the detention periods of journalists arrested in connection with the “Abzas Media case” have been repeatedly extended. Most recently, the detention of Hafiz Babali was extended by one month, Elnara Gasimova by two months, and Nargiz Absalamova, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Ulvi Hasanli, and Muhammad Kekalov by three months each.

Last year, on November 20, “Abzas Media” director Ulvi Hasanli and his deputy Muhammad Kekalov were detained, followed by chief editor Sevinc Vagifgizi on November 21, reporter Nargiz Absalamova on November 30, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali on December 13, and journalist Elnara Qasimova on January 13. They have been charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by an organized group) and have been subjected to pre-trial detention.

The journalists deny the charges, attributing their arrests to the corruption investigations published by “Abzas Media.” Numerous local and international organizations consider these detainees to be political prisoners and have called on the authorities to release the journalists immediately.

A group of economists has appealed to state institutions, requesting that the detention measure against economist Farid Mehralizade be replaced with house arrest. “We want the charges against Farid Mehralizade to be properly investigated. During the investigation period, a detention measure was chosen for him. We consider it appropriate to replace the detention with house arrest,” the appeal states. The economists who signed the document are asking the relevant state institutions to consider all possible legal means to secure the release of the young economist Farid Mehralizade. “Farid Mehralizade is one of the leading members of Azerbaijan’s young generation of professional economists. We believe he will become one of our leading scholars in the future. His continuous analyses on economic, social, higher education, and other topics provide a basis for this belief. These studies can be seen as a contribution to the discussion environment on economic issues in our country,” the economists state. The document was signed by Sabit Baghirov, President of the Foundation for Assistance to Development of Entrepreneurship and Market Economy, Rasim Hasanov, Professor at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, independent economists Inqilab Ahmadov, Elchin Rashid, Azer Mehtiyev, Samir Aliyev, Rovshan Agayev, Toghrul Valiyev, Khatai Aliyev, and Rashad Hasanov.

Farid Mehralizade was detained on May 30 and charged with foreign currency smuggling within the framework of the criminal case against the employees of the online publication “AbzasMedia.”

A few days ago, Elvin Aliyev, a Karabakh war veteran, who self-immolated in Agstafa, passed away five days after the incident. The 32-year-old Elvin Aliyev died on June 23 at the hospital in Baku, where he was receiving treatment. The Central Hospital in Agstafa informed Meydan TV that Elvin Aliyev was in critical condition when he was brought there: “More than 70 percent of his body was burned. His condition was very severe. All necessary measures were taken to save his life, but it was not possible.” Elvin Aliyev sustained a severe head injury during the 44-day war in 2020, resulting in the loss of his health, and he was classified as having a Group III disability. In November 2021, the media reported a complaint from Elvin Aliyev that he had been beaten by police officers in Agstafa. His mother, Shovkat Aliyeva, stated that 3-4 employees of the Agstafa District Police Department had beaten her son, resulting in his hospitalization. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, however, denied the claims that police officers had beaten the veteran.

“The special quarantine regime in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been extended until October 1. Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed the decision. According to the decision, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and its potential consequences in the country, the special quarantine regime in the Republic of Azerbaijan has been extended until 06:00 on October 1, 2024.”  The reason cited is Article 25 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being” and the “Rules for Organizing Quarantine, Preventive, and Other Necessary Measures in the Event of a Threat of Infectious, Parasitic, and Mass Non-Infectious Diseases” approved by the relevant decision of the Cabinet of Ministers. Based on this, Prime Minister Ali Asadov‘s decision to extend the special quarantine regime in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan until 06:00 on October 1, 2024, was made to prevent the spread of the infection and its potential consequences.

However, the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers faced harsh criticism from different segments of society, with majority calling it absurd and a restrictive method to limit the mobility of the citizens.

Chairperson of the National Council of Democratic Forces (Milli Shura) Jamil Hasanli made the following remarks about the decision: “They (the regime) are restricting political freedoms. They are creating a total police regime. This quarantine measure is blatantly unconstitutional. It is about restricting the freedom of movement of the people. The situation has reached a point where they are using quarantine as an excuse to demand passports and ID cards from citizens traveling from Gazakh to Baku. Quarantine not only restricts political freedoms and freedom of movement, but it also severely impacts the cultural and social life of the nation, taking away people’s means of livelihood. The Aliyev family is treating this nation like servants. Azerbaijanis in Georgia are mourning their dead via Skype. Cross-border trade is banned. Everyone is forced to shop at the Aliyev family’s stores. Quarantine also serves to create an economic monopoly for the ruling family. No one can bring 5 kg of rice to their children from across the border. They have closed the land borders and raised the prices of airplane tickets to exorbitant levels. The quarantine regime gives additional opportunities to arrest people on false charges. Creating a closed society is the ideal of the family-feudal regime. COVID has been a godsend for them. It is unlikely that they will give this up. Quarantine has already taken on the content of national oppression.”

Activist Nigar Hezi shared a similar opinion suggesting that this decision only aimed at selling the air tickets for a higher price. “Keeping the land borders closed is a forgery! Once again, the hopes of people eagerly waiting for the borders to reopen have been dashed. While the rest of the world remembers COVID as a thing of the past, Ilham Aliyev keeps the virus alive. The Aliyevs, who view the people as a virus, use COVID as an excuse to increase their wealth through AZAL. The exorbitant prices of plane tickets are designed to rob the people. They know that people will be forced to buy these expensive tickets. Keeping the borders closed is mocking the people and blatantly lying to them.”

Journalist Samir Kazimli said that there is no legal or real justification for keeping the land borders closed. “When COVID-19 first started to spread, Iran was one of the countries with the highest number of infections. At that time, the public was in a state of panic. There were calls on social media and in the media for the government to close the land border with Iran. However, the government ignored these calls. Now, COVID-19 has become a routine issue over the past few years, and other countries have lifted quarantine measures and opened their land borders. But our government, disregarding the public’s calls to open land borders, does not want to do so. Although the official reason given for keeping the land borders closed is quarantine, the real reason is explained as security measures. What if these security measures take 10 years? Does that mean the land borders will remain closed for 10 years? There are at most 10 border-crossing points across the country. Is it so difficult for the government to strengthen security measures at these 10 points? There was an instance where an MP was shot, and that happened while the land borders were closed. This means that keeping the land borders closed is not a guarantee for security either. However, the continued closure of land borders negatively affects the livelihood of the people and the country’s economy. Experts have given numerous comments on this issue. It seems that neither before nor now does the government take public opinion into account.”

Commenting on the disputed decision, director of the Baku Research Institute Altay Goyushov said that if closing the border would help anything, the Soviet Union would not collapse, for it had all the possibilities closed for its people.