European Parliament Calls for Sanctions on Azerbaijan

September 18, 2014 By administrator

BRUSSELS, STRASBOURG—On Thursday, the European Parliament with an overwhelming majority adopted a resolution condemning the persecution of human rights activists in Azerbaijan, affirming its previous resolutions on human rights in Azerbaijan, and calling for targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s regime, as well as visa bans against those in the regime who are directly responsible for the repression of civil society.

Azerbaijan was harshly criticized by members of the European Parliament, who stressed the absurdity of Azerbaijan currently holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of Europe — an institution upholding values of human rights and freedom – whereas “in the last few years the general Human Rights climate in Azerbaijan has been deteriorating, with a major escalation of government repression, pressure and intimidation directed at NGOs, civil society activists, journalists, and human rights defenders.”

Member of the European Parliament Marie-Christine Vergiat (Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left, France) said that the impunity of Azerbaijan and the Aliyev regime should stop, that the EU should not be focused on oil and gas only, and that the Association Agreement with Azerbaijan should not go on. Member of the European Parliament Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Germany) stressed the gruesome state of civil society in Azerbaijan, after the continuous and brutal authoritarian regime’s crackdown on fabricated and politically motivated charges. During speeches by the lawmakers, it was mentioned that a few months ago Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev from the podium of the Council of Europe had called his critics liars, and had denied any sort of criticism, while in reality, the situation in Azerbaijan has all the more deteriorated.

The European Parliament resolution “deplores the actions taken by the Azerbaijani Government to curb contacts between civil society and youth activists and intellectuals from Armenia and Azerbaijan, since these contacts are of major importance for bridging the long-standing hostility between the two countries.”

The resolution stresses that the European Parliament’s consent to the signature of a partnership agreement with Azerbaijan will be conditional on the satisfactory reflection of the above-mentioned requirements, the release of human rights defenders, the withdrawal of legislation restricting the operations of independent civil society, and the cessation of repression and intimidation of NGOs, independent media, opposition forces, human rights defenders and youth and social network activists. Members of the European Parliament stressed that Azerbaijan should be held accountable for its actions at home, and that human rights should be an inseparable part of the foreign policy of the EU.

The resolution laments the fact that the EU-Azerbaijan human rights dialogue has made no substantial progress regarding the human rights situation in the country, calls on the European External Action Service to step up this dialogue with a view to making it effective and result-oriented and to report regularly to Parliament, and calls on the EU Council and the member states to urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop the oppression and make it clear that it expects them, as hosts of the European Olympic Games to be held next year, to uphold the Olympic Charter’s requirement to respect press freedoms.

Most importantly, the European Parliament recalls its position of May 24, 2012, and calls on the EU Council to consider the possibility of targeted sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations, should these persist.

Kaspar Karampetian, President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (ANC of Europe) said that finally the European Union is speaking up against the oppressive regime in Baku, and that Commissioner Neven Mimica’s intervention is in the right direction. “We welcome this resolution of the European Parliament. A resolution that upholds the real values of the European Union, while stressing the necessity of sanctions against the regime in Baku. Human Rights shall be considered in all aspects of Foreign Policy; and energy flow to Europe shall not make the EU go blind on breaches of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms,” said Karampetian. “Real democracy in Azerbaijan, respect to the right of self-determination of peoples is the only key to solving the long standing conflict with Nagorno Karabakh, and a peaceful co-habitation in the South Caucasus,” Karampetian concluded.

Armenian, Azeri leaders agree on Karabakh talks in Paris

September 17, 2014 By administrator

Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia gave their consent to the negotiations in Paris, the French envoy to Azerbaijan said.

As Tert.am reported citing Azeri media, the meeting brokered by French President Francois Hollande will take place in late October.

According to Pascal Monnier, the meeting participants will discuss Karabakh conflict settlement and issues in the peace process. He stressed the importance of the event that will follow the presidential meeting in Wales.

“France, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, is taking every effort to promote the conflict settlement and believes that the time for resolution has come,” he said.

“The fact that the Presidents have agreed to this meeting is a great achievement. The main goal of the meeting is to seek ways to achieve progress in the talks and find a mutually acceptable solution,” he said.

Israel build Turkey’s military industrial complex now they are building Azerbaijan military by sailing Iron Dome.

September 15, 2014 By administrator

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev at ADEX 2014 Baku-hosted defense industry exhibit.

As haqqin.az reported citing Israeli media, at the event, Israeli side demonstrated the Iron Dome air defense system. Besides negotiations with the president, consultations with several ministers were held.

Iron Dome is a mobile all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometres to 70 kilometres away and whose trajectory would take them to a populated area. Israel hopes to increase the range of Iron Dome’s interceptions, from the current maximum of 70 kilometres to 250 kilometres and make it more versatile so that it could intercept rockets coming from two directions simultaneously.

Iron Dome was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011 near Beersheba. On 7 April 2011, the system successfully intercepted a Grad rocket launched from Gaza for the first time. On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas. By November 2012, official statements indicated that it had intercepted 400+ rockets. 5 Israeli companies participated in the exhibit, with no interest in other Israeli made ammunition expressed. Earlier, Baku purchased over $ 1,6 billion worth of weaponry from Israel.

Activist Deported From Azerbaijan, Warned About Family

September 12, 2014 By administrator

September 12, 2014

A U.S. citizen of Azerbaijani origin, Said Nuri, has been deported from Azerbaijan after what he called days of intimidation and harassment.

Nuri wrote on Twitter on September 12 that he was ejected from his native country and told he could never return. report rferl.org

He said that after he arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia, from Baku, he received an anonymous email warning him not to forget that his relatives remain in Azerbaijan.

Earlier this week, a sexually explicit video showing Nuri and his girlfriend circulated on the Internet.

On September 4, Azerbaijani officials barred Nuri from leaving the country and questioned him in connection with an undisclosed investigation.

A former deputy chief of the pro-opposition youth group Yeni Fikir (New Opinion), Nuri left Azerbaijan several years ago after a treason investigation was launched against his organization.

No room for the “Republic of Azerbaijan” in Buenos Aires

September 12, 2014 By administrator

by Gari / armenews

The legislative council of Buenos Aires, Argentina, decided to say no to a project to name a square neighborhood Colegiales called “Republic of Azerbaijan”. The project, released on September 10 and which sparked an outcry from the Armenian community, noted that the first years of the independence of Azerbaijan, which was to be marked by the inauguration of the place in September, had been tarnished by the “war with

Australia’s New South Wales Legislative Council slams Azerbaijan

September 11, 2014 By administrator

The New South Wales Legislative Council adopted a motion on Wednesday, Sept 10, adding its voice to the international condemnation of Azerbaijan on its aggression directed towards the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia.

The motion, which was moved in the Upper House of Australia’s largest State by the Hon. Rev. Fred Nile MLC, outlined the course of events whereby the Azeri armed forces on numerous occasions seriously violated the ceasefire, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

International condemnation of Azerbaijan has continued as a result of Azerbaijan’s recent actions and the declaration of war made by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev via the popular social media platform, Twitter.

Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia), Vache Kahramanian, has been working closely working with Members of Parliament to brief them on the recent developments in the South Caucasus and the dangerous escalation of violence demonstrated by Azerbaijan.

Kahramanian said: “Today the Parliament of New South Wales once again demonstrated its principled stance, confirming it stands firm with oppressed people from around the world.”

The motion follows on from the recognition of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh by the New South Wales Parliament in October 2012. Nile and a NSW Parliamentary delegation of seven visited Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh in 2013.

Azadlig: Diplomatic row to ignite between Austria and Azerbaijan

September 10, 2014 By administrator

Visit of Foreign Minister of Austria Sebastian Kurz in Azerbaijan is linked to a corruption scandal, in which Elman Rustamov the chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan was involved, a reliable source told the Azerbaijani newspaper “Azaglig”.

On February 17, a trial began in Austria. Law enforcements in Austria accused of contracting companies of the Central Bank of Austria – “OeBS”, which was engaged in printing of banknotes and securities, and corrupt ties with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan and Syria.

As noted in the article, there is still a criminal case being investigated, and the Austrian court considers that it is necessary to interrogate also Rustamov. Originally it was planned to hold video questioning during the trial taken place on August 5th. However, this did not happen.

As the author notes, the Azerbaijani authorities are working seriously to save Rustamov, but Austria insists on questioning. “I cannot believe that the Azerbaijani authorities may make concessions on this issue. This means that a diplomatic row is possible between Azerbaijan and Austria,” the newspaper reads.

USA The “New York Times” published a report on the lobbying of Azerbaijan in Washington, funded by the Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR

September 9, 2014 By administrator

“New York Times” has published documents that show the lobbying of Azerbaijan in Washington. In 2012 Azerbaijan has used the services of a company to influence public opinion and lobbying in Washington to present Azerbaijan as a reliable partner on security issues. According to the “New York Times”, the Azeri state oil company SOCAR has invested large sums to the “charm offensive” to the analysis and opinion “Atlantic Council” center. Nevertheless, according to the newspaper, the objectives of Baku would not have been achieved. Azerbaijan would nevertheless held in Washington a series of lectures and seminars obeying this lobbying, conferences, one of whose themes was “efforts visibility of Azerbaijan as a NATO partner” and had the participation of a number of officials and leaders of an American State Department stressed that the role of Baku as a strategic partner of the Atlantic Alliance. Also in this continuity, Azerbaijan would have called this year the services of a lobbying organization “Podesta Group” led by a certain Tony Podesda, close to President Barack Obama.

Krikor Amirzayan

Azerbaijan Council Of Europe Commissioner Slams Baku For Human Rights Violations

September 8, 2014 By administrator

By RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service

September 08, 2014

The Council of Europe’s human rights chief has harshly criticized Azerbaijani authorities over what he says is the deterioration of human rights and basic freedoms in the oil-producing Caspian Sea country.

The council’s human rights commissioner, Nils Muiznieks, told RFE/RL on September 8 that a “wave of arrests of human rights defenders” had increased in recent months.

He said the sitation was “totally unacceptable” and “flies in the face of the human rights obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan” when it joined the 47-nation European human rights body.

In an e-mail interview, Muiznieks cited several cases in which Azerbaijani journalists and bloggers critical of the authorities have been jailed, persecuted, or humiliated.

“The few critical voices that are still outside the country’s detention facilities face mounting pressure and often had to leave the country, when not under a travel ban, and had their bank accounts frozen,” Muiznieks added.

Azerbaijan is silent about the heroin highway with Georgia

September 5, 2014 By administrator

Even in the best case, the Azerbaijani government is not very talkative. But his silence with stone walls after its neighbor Georgia has triumphantly confiscated heroin on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan for a value of approximately $ 175 million has raised questions about the reasons for his reserve.

On July 11, the Georgian Border Police found a record 2.79 tonnes of liquid heroin inside 93 containers of 30 kg of laundry by hand carried by truck between Azerbaijan and Georgia. A video released by the Georgian Interior Ministry shows that the containers were carrying Georgian flags and the words “Clean Georgia”. The cargo truck was slightly fuzzy name “Go” or “G3” and marking “Internationale Spedition.”

In a statement on 25 July in a Georgian parliamentary committee, the Georgian Interior Minister Aleksandr Chikaidze said the cargo belonged to the Taliban in Afghanistan, has he alleged, had financed his expedition to Europe reported the news magazine Tabula. Two Georgian citizens were arrested in connection with the shipment.

Chikaidze had earlier stated that the goods had traveled from Afghanistan through Iran to Azerbaijan, and was headed to Turkey and to Europe. Citing an ongoing investigation, he declined to comment further.

The status of Azerbaijan and Georgia as part of a corridor of narcotics from Afghanistan and Iran to Europe was established Both countries cooperate with the United Nations and the Drug Enforcement Administration United States (DEA) to take action against international trafficking networks.

During the first nine months of 2012, the latest year for which information is available, Azerbaijan has confiscated a total of more than 654 kg of drugs, according to the American State Department, citing data from the Azerbaijani government.

This record-which past earned praise from the State Department – calls Azerbaijanis to wonder how the heroine managed to pass the Azerbaijani border control and Georgia.

But the Azerbaijani officials do not speak.

In comments to EurasiaNet.org, the spokesman of the service control borders of Azerbaijan Elhan Nagiyev said his agency had “no information” on the liquid heroin seizure at the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia. “The Georgian law enforcement bodies do not catch us” to help for this mission, he added.

The Spokesman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Security also refused to comment.

However, an expert on local drug believes that the Azerbaijani government to cooperate with the Georgian authorities on this drug bust.

“These operations are under preparation for months and involve a network of secret agents,” said Mazahir Efendiyev, national coordinator of Azerbaijan for the Drug Enforcement Program in the South Caucasus of the United Nations.

Citing unnamed government sources, the pro-opposition newspaper Yeni Musavat alleged that the Georgian Interior Minister Chikaidze discussed details of the operation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Interior Minister Ramil Usubov and Chief border control Elchin Guliyev during an official visit from 13 to 16 May in Baku.

At the time, Azerbaijani media reported that Chikaidze had discussed “border issues.”

If the Yeni Musavat newspaper report is correct, some observers wonder why Baku does not recognize his public success with Georgia.

The 2014 Report of the International Narcotics Control Strategy of the State Department of the United States estimates that “up to 11 tons of narcotics”, largely from neighboring Iran, traveling through Azerbaijan every year. Turkey tightens border controls, Azerbaijan could become a “transit country increasingly favored for drugs’ has set the report.

The new drug liquid heroin seized by Azerbaijan and Georgia would serve to reinforce the message that Baku is taking this threat seriously.

But Efendiyev says that maybe Baku decided to stay quiet to let Georgia, “a friendly country”, earning the spotlight and improve its own domestic political prestige. The announcement of Tbilisi on heroin seizure took place two days before the local elections in Georgia, a vote that the Georgian Dream coalition government won.

Ex-intelligence officer against Arastun Orujlu, director of the Center pro-East-West opposition research, sees another possible reason for the silence of Baku.

“The service control or customs border of Azerbaijan are not doing their job properly or. . . these owners [these drugs] have strong friends in these organs “assumed Orujlu.

The National Council of Democratic Forces, a unit of the largest opposition parties of Azerbaijan, echoed that claim, condemning the government for failing to say anything about the seizure of heroin, but to make announcements “very strong” on the arrest of “civil society activists on false possessions of drugs.”

The government has not responded. Efendiyev has rejected any discussion on the links between drug traffickers and Azerbaijani officials, noting that the country has confiscated “over 10 tons” of drugs since 2007.

Yet despite this vigilance, has he added, “of course, the regional drug lords have their presence in the country.”

The American Embassy in Baku did not respond to requests for comment on a possible role by the American DEA in detecting sending liquid heroin.

The State Department wrote in its report “International Narcotics Control Strategy” that the DEA, who trained the employees of the Azerbaijani State anti-narcotics work, “contributed to that Azerbaijan continues Organizations international drug trafficking in 2013. “

He noted that Baku has provided “extraordinary cooperation” in the fight against drug trafficking, and said he expects “that this support will continue.”

Editor’s Note:

Shahin Abbasov is a freelance journalist based in Baku.

Eurasianet