FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “This family’s greed knows no bounds. Everything must belong to them. From oil to gas, from gas to cotton, from cotton to hazelnuts—they never had enough. From gold mines to sand quarries, from technoparks to agro parks, from flower plantations to sunflower fields—everything is theirs.” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms The trial of Fazil Gasimov, a doctoral student from Istanbul University, continued at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, presided over by Judge Mahira Karimova. A preparatory hearing for Gasimov's case had taken place a month ago, during...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “Corruption in the country is widespread, and effective opposition to the government has been weakened by years of crackdowns on rival politicians and civil society…” (Lack of) Human Rights and Freedoms The Baku Court of Appeals dismissed journalist Nargiz Absalamova's appeal on January 29. The appeal was regarding the prohibition of meetings and telephone conversations with her family members. The court justified the investigative ban by claiming that communication with Absalamova's family might hinder the exposure of other individuals involved in crimes....


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI 26.07.2021 “… Spend billions on the others, but keep your people hungry, so as to make it possible to govern them…” The Azerbaijani FB community continues to simmer in a cocktail of ‘cognitive dissonance’, unable to trust the state administration or the motives of other associated regional players. At a season when there should be signs of jubilation, such as on the occasion of the Gurban meat distribution, citizens are still plagued by the insistent evidence of redirection of national funds.  Statistics collated underline continuing evidence of corruption,...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI 12.07.2021 “…Russia is ‘a prison’ which she does not want Azerbaijan and Armenia be released from…” The prospect of Azerbaijan’s CSTO observer status remains a hot issue on FB, with the community mainly denouncing it, along with continuing criticism of Russia’s role in the country, conflict and region; are keenly upset at the lack of understanding in the West of Azerbaijan’s position on Karabagh, including the refusal of the Minsk group co-chairmen to visit Shusha. They are highly concerned about the rapid spread of synthetic drugs in the country;...


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FB Digest@VoxPOPULI 08.07.2021 “…For many years we as people were paying the bills of the corrupt bureaucrats…We got adjusted to compensating for the losses of the thieves…” The FB community is concerned with Armenia’s firing into the Agdam region, the ambiguous role of Russia and Azerbaijan’s alleged intention to acquire observer status at the CSTO; continues to discuss the money laundering scandal of the President’s niece and her £4m submission to the British Agency’s Fight with Corruption; analyses SOCAR’s significant losses and debts; decries the Supreme Court’s...


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