A task group from the Humanitarian Demining and Expert Center has destroyed Azerbaijani arms supplies in Armenia’s southern region Syunik, reports the Defense Ministry’s press service.
The supplies, left behind by the adversary back in the 1990s, were found in military posts in the villages Yeghvard and Uzhanis.
The experts continue the searches in another former military post close to the neighboring communities.
Azerbaijan MP proposes that Armenians be allowed to enter country
During plenary session of the Azerbaijani parliament, MP Zahid Oruc proposed that Armenians be allowed to enter Azerbaijan, reported Trend news agency of the country.
To note, however, this proposal refers solely to the Armenians that “have a neutral stance toward Azerbaijan.”
And as case in point, Oruc pointed to the attempt by Armenian refugee and provocateur Vahe Avetyan—who has left Armenia a long time ago—to visit Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.
Incidentally, Avetyan was not allowed to leave the Baku airport.
Human Rights Watch Reports ‘Azerbaijan Continues to Wage a Vicious Crackdown’
Human Rights Watch Releases Report on Azerbaijan Entitled ‘Harassed, Imprisoned, Exiled: Azerbaijan’s Continuing Crackdown on Government Critics, Lawyers, and Civil Society’
NEW YORK (Armenian Weekly)—Human Rights Watch—the New York-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights—released a report entitled “Harassed, Imprisoned, Exiled: Azerbaijan’s Continuing Crackdown on Government Critics, Lawyers, and Civil Society” on October 20.
The report harshly criticizes the Azerbaijani government’s ongoing human rights violations, specifically on its crackdown on sectors of civil society which criticize the country’s ruling regime.
Human Rights Watch’s report is based on more than 90 in-depth interviews with lawyers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), journalists, youth group members, political party activists, and others, as well as detailed analysis of numerous laws and regulations pertaining to the work of NGOs.
Below is the summary of the report. The full report can be read here.
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The government of Azerbaijan continues to wage a vicious crackdown on critics and dissenting voices. The space for independent activism, critical journalism, and opposition political activity has been virtually extinguished by the arrests and convictions of many activists, human rights defenders, and journalists, as well as by laws and regulations restricting the activities of independent groups and their ability to secure funding. Independent civil society in Azerbaijan is struggling to survive.
In late 2015 and early 2016 the authorities conditionally released or pardoned a number of individuals previously convicted on politically motivated charges, including several high-profile figures whose arrests and convictions had drawn vocal criticism from governments, intergovernmental organizations and nongovernmental groups (NGOs). Many have sought to frame the releases as an indication of a shift in the government’s punitive attitude towards independent civil society activists and groups.
However, even as the government released some activists, bloggers, and journalists, authorities have arrested many others on spurious criminal and administrative charges to prevent them from carrying out their legitimate work. None of those released had their convictions vacated, several face travel restrictions, others left the country fearing further politically motivated persecution, or had to halt their work due to almost insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles hampering their access to funding. Authorities have also harassed the relatives of those attempting to carry out their activism from abroad, in some cases by bringing criminal charges against them. Numerous lawyers representing government critics in legal proceedings have been disbarred on questionable grounds, apparently to prevent them from carrying out their work.
Based on more than 90 in-depth interviews with lawyers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), journalists, youth group members, political party activists, and relatives of these people, as well as detailed analysis of numerous laws and regulations pertaining to the work of NGOs, this report documents the government’s concerted efforts to paralyze civil society and punish those who criticize or challenge the government through prosecutions and legal and regulatory restrictions.
Azeri leader ready for Karabakh meeting with Armenia President
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has expressed readiness to meet with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan for discussing the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group said Saturday, October 22.
“I talked to President Aliyev in person,” RIA Novosti cited James Warlick as saying.
“He said he is committed to a peaceful settlement of the conflict and that he is ready to meet with Armenia’s leader Serzh Sargsyan for further negotiations. We have certain ideas to consider along with the organization of the next meeting of the Presidents on Karabakh.”
Sargsyan and Aliyev met on June 20 in Saint Petersburg to address the conflict, with Russian President Vladimir Putin mediating the talks. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents confirmed their commitment to the implementation of agreements reached at a Vienna-hosted meeting on May 16. To that end, they agreed to increase the number of international observers in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. Also, they expressed satisfaction that the ceasefire was now holding. Prior to that, a meeting between both leaders was organized on May 16 in Vienna, with top diplomats from the MG co-chairing countries hosting the summit.
Human Rights Watch report: EU and USA should impose visa bans on senior Azerbaijani officials
The Azerbaijani government has renewed its vicious crackdown on critics and independent groups. The European Union and international financial institutions have a rare opportunity to insist on human rights reforms, as Azerbaijan actively seeks financial and other partnerships to offset a recent economic downturn, international organization Human Rights Watch said in a new 75-page report.
According to the report, the Azerbaijani government concerted efforts to undermine civil society.In 2016, the authorities used false, politically motivated criminal and administrative charges to prosecute political activists, journalists, and others.The government has built a restrictive legal and policy framework to paralyze the work of independent groups.Lawyers willing to defend critics have faced retaliation and disbarment. Although the authorities released several human rights defenders and others in early 2016, many others remain in prison or fled into exile.
“With the release of some wrongfully imprisoned activists earlier this year, there were high hopes that Azerbaijan was turning a corner,” said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. “But optimism is fading fast as the government relentlessly pursues critics and tries to shut down independent groups.”
Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 90 human rights defenders, leaders of independent organizations, journalists, lawyers, and political party activists.
It is reminded that in April 2015, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which promotes government openness in natural resource development, downgraded Azerbaijan’s status in the group because of its crackdown on independent groups. However, it is highlighted in the report that the Azerbaijani government has not taken any meaningful steps to carry out the EITI requirements on civil society.
The government prosecuted at least 20 political and youth activists in 2016 on a range of spurious charges, including drug possession and illegal business activity. Officials also arrested activists for alleged links to FethullahGulen, the United States-based cleric whom Turkey accused of organizing the failed July coup attempt there. Authorities have ill-treated some detainees, including with beatings, rape threats, threats of violence against relatives, and solitary confinement to coerce confessions or as punishment.
Arrests in Azerbaijan increased sharply as activists and other citizens spoke out about the economic downturn, currency devaluation, and inflation in early 2016, and ahead of a September constitutional referendum that expanded presidential powers.
Azerbaijan’s authorities also regularly used questionable misdemeanor charges, such as “swearing in public” or “hooliganism,” to detain political activists, including peaceful demonstrators. Officials have often targeted activists using Facebook and other social media to criticize government policies or support peaceful protests.
Among those detained were two youth activists, GiyasIbrahimov and BayramMammadov, who were arrested in May for painting graffiti on a statue of former President Heydar Aliyev. Police ordered the men to apologize on camera in exchange for their release. When they refused, police beat them and threatened to rape them. The men finally signed confessions falsely admitting to drug possession and face up to 12 years in prison.
The Azerbaijani government has also made it virtually impossible for independent groups to function. Laws and regulations adopted since 2014 require both donors and grantees to separately obtain government approval of each potential grant. The authorities have broad discretion to deny grant approvals. A foreign donor organization now must also register an office in Azerbaijan and receive government approval to make grants.Numerous activists interviewed by Human Rights Watch reported closing their organizations or severely reducing staff and programming as a result of the government’s policies.
Summing up, the authors of the report highlight that the EU and the US should impose visa bans on senior officials responsible for the unjust prosecution and imprisonment of critics as retaliation for peacefully exercising their rights.
In the World Report 2016, Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch, said that the government’s crackdown in Azerbaijan is unprecedented in the country’s post-Soviet history, and that although the government is opening the country for international sporting and other events, it is closing the country to human rights scrutiny.
WikiLeaks: Hillary Clinton intended to raise money for campaign from Azerbaijan’s lobbyists
The US presidential candidate,Hillary Clinton, and her campaign chair, John Podesta, discussed the appropriateness of fundraising from foreign lobbyists for campaign, including from people lobbying for Azerbaijan, Russian Today reports citing Clinton’s emails with Podesta published by WikiLeaks.
According to the article, particularly long email thread discusses what the campaign might do about donations from “foreign agents” – people acting on behalf of foreign entities such as governments. It is highlighted that in April of last year,John Podesta was in an email chain along with a number of key campaign figures over whether to allow those lobbying on behalf of foreign governments to raise money for the campaign.
It was also noted that Tony Podesta – John’s brother, who lobbies for Iraq, Egypt and Azerbaijan among many others – was included in the list of people, with whom Clinton’s campaign figures wanted to collaborate in raising money.
Brothers Tony and John Podesta head the lobbying organization “Podesta Group”, which is Azerbaijan’s main lobbyist in the USA. In February 2015, Azerbaijan’s embassy in the USA increased the organization’s monthly fee from $50000 to $75000.
Reportedly, “Podesta Group’s” registration documents uncovered hundreds of contracts with the US Congress offices, executive agencies, media outlets, and research centers, as a result of which Azerbaijan could “buy influence” in Washington, and many congressmen started to issue statements in favor of the official Baku. At the same time, the well-documented violations of the president Ilham Aliyev’s regime towards its citizens were not mentioned in any statement.
Publication of a list of 94 political opponents imprisoned in Azerbaijan
A group of Azerbaijani political opponents published a list of 94 persons considered political opponents imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Among them 6 journalists and bloggers, two public figures, lawyers, 5 young “activists”, 5 members of opposition parties and 61 people imprisoned for their religious beliefs. But according to other sources, the list of political opponents languishing in prisons of Azerbaijan is much higher and reach hundreds or even thousands of members. “Given the situation in the country, many prefer to stay and act in secret. The situation of human rights is worrying, “say the members of the opposition group that published the list of 94 people imprisoned for their political or religious beliefs.
Krikor Amirzayan
Nagorno-Karabakh can be autonomous republic – Aliyev
Azerbaijan’s president has reiterated his country’s call for mutual concessions over Nagorno-Karabakh, promising to give the country the status of an autonomous republic.
“A reasonable mutual concession is possible,” Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Rossiya Segodnya. “Azerbaijan is implementing different investment projects to ensure their regular daily life. and autonomy. Peaceful cooperation between the two peoples on condition of liberating the regions surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region – this is our vision of conflict settlement,” he said, ruling out the possibility of granting the country a full independence,
“Yet, we can agree on mutual concessions over local autonomy and the autonomy of Nagorno-Karabakh. We can have an autonomous republic if we want to,” he added.
Azerbaijani president’s statement blackmails USA, Armenian expert says
political scientist Styopa Safaryan, Head of Armenian AIISA.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has claimed Azerbaijan is being pressed into recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence. He is blackmailing the United States, which has repeatedly stated that territorial solutions cannot be independent of the referendum results in Nagorno-Karabakh, political scientist Styopa Safaryan told Tert.am in response to a question as to which great power the Azerbaijani leader meant while saying that he is being pressed behind closed doors into recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence.
“Since James Warlick’s extensive interview has been misinterpreted because of words out of context and John Kerry’s rather interesting remarks have gone unnoticed, I can say that the United States insists on a comprehensive settlement of the problem, which implies a final status for Nagorno-Karabakh, a package settlement. And since Azerbaijan has always shown a selective attitude to the Helsinki Final Act and to the three principles for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – accepting the territorial integrity principle alone – it has repeatedly received messages by means of James Warlick and John Kerry that it is not going to be so,” Mr Safaryan said.
According to a statement by official Washington on Oct. 4, “a just settlement must be based on international law, which includes the Helsinki Final Act, the principle of non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and self-determination.”
At the daily press briefing in Washington on October 3, Yusif Babanlı, a reporter for the AzerTag state-run news agency, put the following question to Ms Elizabeth Trudeau, Director, Press Office, US Department of State:
“So last week, Secretary Kerry was speaking at the Atlantic and Aspen Institute, and he was discussing various conflicts including Syria, issues with Iran. And he touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said something to the effect of that the prospects for conflict resolutions are not there because the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are not ready yet. Can you clarify what he might have meant, or more importantly, what would warrant such a statement?”
In response, Ms Elizabeth Trudeau said:
“Well, I won’t parse the Secretary’s words. I think they’re pretty clear. What I would reiterate, though, is that the U.S. supports a negotiated settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We continue to engage actively with the sides. You know we’re co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Our longstanding policy shared by the Minsk Group co-chairs is that a just settlement must be based on international law, which includes the Helsinki Final Act, the principle of non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and self-determination.”
“The responsibility for peace rests on the leaders of both countries, and we would reiterate their importance in finding a negotiated peace,” she added.
In this context, President Ilham Aliyev, who is openly accused of lacking the political will in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, has to openly state his political attitude.
“It is blackmail against the United States to force it into changing its attitude,” Mr Safaryan said.
However, he does not think the US will change its position.
Moreover, the US position is in conflict with not only Azerbaijan’s wishes, but also Russia’s. This is the reason for the US Secretary of State’s hint that maintaining the status quo is the only alternative to a comprehensive settlement.
Azerbaijan president: They are trying to force us to recognize Karabakh
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made a noteworthy statement with respect to the prospects for a resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
“Behind closed doors, we are pressured to force an agreement on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence,” Aliyev stated at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. “We don’t disclose many details, since there are rules of diplomacy. [But] Azerbaijan will never agree to this.”
As per Haqqin.az news agency of Azerbaijan, he noted that an active campaign has begun against Azerbaijan on this matter.
“As long as we are in power, Azerbaijan will never give its consent to that,” Ilham Aliyev added, and pledged to “restore” Azerbaijan’s “territorial integrity.”
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