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AVAZ HASANOV: BY ELIMINATING EXPERTS ON KARABAKH THE AUTHORITIES HELP ARMENIANS
Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24, 2014 Saturday
Baku/24.05.14/Turan: The arrest of the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and
ensuing requirements for NGO leaders to cease contact with Armenian
colleagues , caused confusion in the Azerbaijani society. Civil society
does not know how to be - to continue previous work or to stop it in
order to avoid danger.
Head of the Society for Humanitarian Research Socity, Avaz Hasanov,
tried to give answer to these questions:
Question: At a joint press conference of presidents of Azerbaijan and
France , foreign journalists asked about the reason for the arrest
of the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and the persecution of the human
rights activist, Leyla Yunus. The essence of the answer was that it
is an internal affair of Azerbaijan. What do you think about this?
Answer: Lately it has become a trend to believe that human rights are
an internal affair of state. This was said by the President of Syria,
President of Morocco, and others wanting to distort the principle of
unlimited human rights specified in international conventions. They
want human rights to be regarded as an internal affair of state.
I believe that human rights is an unlimited value, and Azerbaijani
legislation should be harmonized with international law, in accordance
with the Convention on Human Rights which Azerbaijan joined .
Of course, our government does not want to be criticized about it. In
the past 10 years, Ilham Aliyev said that as long as the social
situation of people which is an economic component of the state is
not improved, the economy is not developed, the living standard is
nor improved, it is early to speak about human rights in Azerbaijan.
I am sure that if the government be more attentive to human rights,
it would be possible to create a guaranteed welfare state. It is
impossible to bring people to the streets and cause massive protest in
the state that provides all the rights of the people. Our population
is not protected from anything: 20% of our lands were seized, and
people believe that the state violates all of its rights.
Question: The society discussed the arrest and prosecution of
R.Mirkadyrov and L.Yunus . You know these people, you worked with
them. Rauf told from the detention facility that he was arrested by
order of Russia.
A journalist Azer Rashidoglu, questioned on this business said there
will be more arrests. L.Yunus said that the arrest of Mirkadirov was
organized to eliminate civil society in Azerbaijan. Can Mirkadyrov
be Armenian spy?
Answer: While in prison , Mirkadyrov told through a lawyer: those who
put me in jail , will answer for it before God. This means that Rauf
is completely innocent.
It is difficult to find another in journalist in Azerbaijan who would
drove our opponents into a corner like Mirkadyrov, and who is so much
read and quoted abroad. Former Russian diplomat , a pro-Armenian
political scientist Kazimirov, posted three articles per every
publication of Rauf.
I read "The Mirror" only because of Mirkadirov and his articles about
Karabakh. He is the only journalist who skillfully used the available
literature on the subject.
I cannot say that I knew Mirkadirov very well. Twice I was with him at
the conference. But I can say that the charges of espionage is absurd.
He was arrested because he was at the wrong time in the wrong place:
living in Ankara he criticized Erdogan. I read the status of a Turkish
journalist tweeted that Mirkadyrov is a sharp critic of Erdogan,
and raises the dirty facts about his party.
Mirkadyrov also sharply criticized Putin, despite the fact that the
"Mirror" is quite balanced newspaper. His last 10 articles ( "Putin and
Hitler" and others) show that Rauf was arrested by the order of Russia.
But I wonder who he interfered in Azerbaijan. He very correctly wrote
about Ilham Aliyev , never touched the ruling family , adhere to
ethical standards. If this country arrested people for criticizing
Aliyev, then many people would be arrested.
Q: Probably the investigation wants to identify Mirkadirov's links with
L.Yunus that works closely with the Armenian human rights activist
Laura Baghdasaryan. There were searches in the offices of Yunus,
and her partner Matanat Azizova.
Answer: I think his articles written by order of human rights
organizations , will be put forward as evidence for the prosecution,
despite Rauf used only open facts in his artciles.
We - human rights activists, appealed to the President with request
to punish those who have provided a rough pressure on the couple Yunus.
Question: Are the arrests of members of civil society possible?
Answer: Maybe I'm wrong, but my 20 years of experience in the Civil
Society tells me that arrest of NGO members is not possible. They
put pressure on NGOs without state registration. At the time, the
government passed a law on the inadmissibility of unregistered NGOs,
and now wants to say that without state registration, NGOs will
not work.
If you remember, when Ruslan Bashirli and members of NIDA were
arrested and accused of spying, the TV showed for days and nights
their testimony and secret video. A month passed since the arrest of
Rauf, and the authorities keep complete silence. That is, there is
no evidence of his guilt.
It is possible that his analytical reports written by request of the
organizers of the project will be used as the "evidence."
Question: The arrest of Rauf was the reason for the government
to require the Azerbaijani NGOs to end the relationship with their
Armenian colleagues. And at the same time, the OSCE Minsk Group again
put forward the principle of settlement, part of which is contacts
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities. Official Baku has
adopted this plan, then how to understand the ban on contacts with
Armenians?
Answer: We do not have enough competent experts on the Karabakh issue
to imprison some of these people. I do not know even mid-level experts
in the power capable of responding to the Armenians. I remember a
few people representing power, which can be delegated to the forum
at any level with the participation of Armenians.
Our lobbyists abroad are populists who are not able to say more than
two sentences to an international audience. So why do the authorities
eliminate such experts? Do they want to help the Armenians? -0 -
Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24, 2014 Saturday
Baku/24.05.14/Turan: The arrest of the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and
ensuing requirements for NGO leaders to cease contact with Armenian
colleagues , caused confusion in the Azerbaijani society. Civil society
does not know how to be - to continue previous work or to stop it in
order to avoid danger.
Head of the Society for Humanitarian Research Socity, Avaz Hasanov,
tried to give answer to these questions:
Question: At a joint press conference of presidents of Azerbaijan and
France , foreign journalists asked about the reason for the arrest
of the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and the persecution of the human
rights activist, Leyla Yunus. The essence of the answer was that it
is an internal affair of Azerbaijan. What do you think about this?
Answer: Lately it has become a trend to believe that human rights are
an internal affair of state. This was said by the President of Syria,
President of Morocco, and others wanting to distort the principle of
unlimited human rights specified in international conventions. They
want human rights to be regarded as an internal affair of state.
I believe that human rights is an unlimited value, and Azerbaijani
legislation should be harmonized with international law, in accordance
with the Convention on Human Rights which Azerbaijan joined .
Of course, our government does not want to be criticized about it. In
the past 10 years, Ilham Aliyev said that as long as the social
situation of people which is an economic component of the state is
not improved, the economy is not developed, the living standard is
nor improved, it is early to speak about human rights in Azerbaijan.
I am sure that if the government be more attentive to human rights,
it would be possible to create a guaranteed welfare state. It is
impossible to bring people to the streets and cause massive protest in
the state that provides all the rights of the people. Our population
is not protected from anything: 20% of our lands were seized, and
people believe that the state violates all of its rights.
Question: The society discussed the arrest and prosecution of
R.Mirkadyrov and L.Yunus . You know these people, you worked with
them. Rauf told from the detention facility that he was arrested by
order of Russia.
A journalist Azer Rashidoglu, questioned on this business said there
will be more arrests. L.Yunus said that the arrest of Mirkadirov was
organized to eliminate civil society in Azerbaijan. Can Mirkadyrov
be Armenian spy?
Answer: While in prison , Mirkadyrov told through a lawyer: those who
put me in jail , will answer for it before God. This means that Rauf
is completely innocent.
It is difficult to find another in journalist in Azerbaijan who would
drove our opponents into a corner like Mirkadyrov, and who is so much
read and quoted abroad. Former Russian diplomat , a pro-Armenian
political scientist Kazimirov, posted three articles per every
publication of Rauf.
I read "The Mirror" only because of Mirkadirov and his articles about
Karabakh. He is the only journalist who skillfully used the available
literature on the subject.
I cannot say that I knew Mirkadirov very well. Twice I was with him at
the conference. But I can say that the charges of espionage is absurd.
He was arrested because he was at the wrong time in the wrong place:
living in Ankara he criticized Erdogan. I read the status of a Turkish
journalist tweeted that Mirkadyrov is a sharp critic of Erdogan,
and raises the dirty facts about his party.
Mirkadyrov also sharply criticized Putin, despite the fact that the
"Mirror" is quite balanced newspaper. His last 10 articles ( "Putin and
Hitler" and others) show that Rauf was arrested by the order of Russia.
But I wonder who he interfered in Azerbaijan. He very correctly wrote
about Ilham Aliyev , never touched the ruling family , adhere to
ethical standards. If this country arrested people for criticizing
Aliyev, then many people would be arrested.
Q: Probably the investigation wants to identify Mirkadirov's links with
L.Yunus that works closely with the Armenian human rights activist
Laura Baghdasaryan. There were searches in the offices of Yunus,
and her partner Matanat Azizova.
Answer: I think his articles written by order of human rights
organizations , will be put forward as evidence for the prosecution,
despite Rauf used only open facts in his artciles.
We - human rights activists, appealed to the President with request
to punish those who have provided a rough pressure on the couple Yunus.
Question: Are the arrests of members of civil society possible?
Answer: Maybe I'm wrong, but my 20 years of experience in the Civil
Society tells me that arrest of NGO members is not possible. They
put pressure on NGOs without state registration. At the time, the
government passed a law on the inadmissibility of unregistered NGOs,
and now wants to say that without state registration, NGOs will
not work.
If you remember, when Ruslan Bashirli and members of NIDA were
arrested and accused of spying, the TV showed for days and nights
their testimony and secret video. A month passed since the arrest of
Rauf, and the authorities keep complete silence. That is, there is
no evidence of his guilt.
It is possible that his analytical reports written by request of the
organizers of the project will be used as the "evidence."
Question: The arrest of Rauf was the reason for the government
to require the Azerbaijani NGOs to end the relationship with their
Armenian colleagues. And at the same time, the OSCE Minsk Group again
put forward the principle of settlement, part of which is contacts
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities. Official Baku has
adopted this plan, then how to understand the ban on contacts with
Armenians?
Answer: We do not have enough competent experts on the Karabakh issue
to imprison some of these people. I do not know even mid-level experts
in the power capable of responding to the Armenians. I remember a
few people representing power, which can be delegated to the forum
at any level with the participation of Armenians.
Our lobbyists abroad are populists who are not able to say more than
two sentences to an international audience. So why do the authorities
eliminate such experts? Do they want to help the Armenians? -0 -