Amnesty International: Azerbaijan Must Investigate Recent Prison ‘Suicide’

Amnesty International is calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure a prompt, independent and effective investigation into the deaths of Mahir Mustafayev and Mehman Galandarov.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on May 4 that the Azerbaijani government had violated the right to life of Mahir Mustafayev without protecting his life and without conducting an effective investigation into the circumstances of his death.

Mustafayev died of severe burns as a result of a mysterious fire in his cell in December 2006.

Read more “Amnesty International: Azerbaijan Must Investigate Recent Prison ‘Suicide’”

10 Years for Graffiti: Prisoners of Conscience in Azerbaijan

Exactly one year ago today, two young Azerbaijani men, Bayram Mammadov and Qiyas Ibrahimov, wrote anti-government slogans on a monument to Heydar Aliyev in Baku. The next day, they were arrested, accused of drug distribution and possession and sentenced to 10 years.

Meydan TV tells the story of these “monument prisoners”.

Read more “10 Years for Graffiti: Prisoners of Conscience in Azerbaijan”

Azerbaijani Court Blocks Access to 5 Sites, Including Meydan TV

The Sabail District Court of Baku completed the examination of a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Communications on May 12, which demanded that access to a number of news sites in Azerbaijan be permanently blocked.

The court has agreed with the appeal and given permission to block azadlıq.info, azadlıq.org, azərbaycansaatı.com, meydan.tv, Turan TV channel (Turan TV) and Azərbaycan Saatı.

Read more “Azerbaijani Court Blocks Access to 5 Sites, Including Meydan TV”

Marat Ueldanov convicted in Baku fears he is hindered from appealing court judgment

Russian national of Armenian descent Marat Ueldanov, who was convicted in Azerbaijan, fears that he is hindered from appealing the court judgment.

His sister, Mariana Mirzoyan, told Armenian News – NEWS.am that Marat called her on Wednesday and informed that he was moved to a terrible place at 12:00 pm on Friday.

Read more “Marat Ueldanov convicted in Baku fears he is hindered from appealing court judgment”

Armenianophobia and terrorism are the basis of the policy of Azerbaijan

Armenianophobia and terrorism are the basis of the state building of Azerbaijan.

There are a number of factors that further contribute to such behavior of the Azerbaijani side. This was stated by the press secretary of the President of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)) David Babayan, referring to the information spread by the Azerbaijani side about the identification of a group of servicemen and civilians allegedly working for the Armenian special services.

Read more “Armenianophobia and terrorism are the basis of the policy of Azerbaijan”

How soldiers were recruited in Baku in the early 90s

A short story of my life where I almost became a warrior

The beginning of the 90s. Battles were fierce in Karabakh and the surrounding areas. People came to power by walking over the corpses of their compatriots from Khojaly, adored by all Heydar Aliyev “The Bloody”, because he was the president of Azerbaijan. Having estimated the situation in the country and the permanent defeats at the battlefront, the first thing Heydar decides to do was to declare a total mobilization. Only this was not a mobilization like in civilized countries. Aliyev knew perfectly well that the people do not want to fight, so he ordered to forcefully force them to be dragged to the battlefield. The propaganda machine was then in its infancy and had little effect on the fragile minds of the population, but the decision had already been made. A decree was issued to grab all young people right from the streets and to send them to the battlefront!

The methods used at that time were similar to fascist. They would grab everyone indiscriminately as if the police were given not just an instruction, but a direct order to fulfill a definite number of soldiers to be sent to fight. The more rams they send, the bigger bonus they would receive. Therefore, even gray-haired and elderly people were grabbed, who did not fall under the age of conscription at all.

The capture

Read more “How soldiers were recruited in Baku in the early 90s”