Misplaced Pages

#793206

99-867: The service was established by decree of the Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic , dated December 14, 2015, to replace the Ministry of National Security & help the Azerbaijan Armed Forces in a future war against Armenia. Resolution number 360, "On Amendments to Certain Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan" was adopted by Cabinet of Ministers in September 2016. The former Ministry of National Security

198-722: A full-scale war in 2020 in which Azerbaijan regained control over the Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh that were lost during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War , as well as a part of Nagorno-Karabakh region itself. Then, in the fall of 2023, Azerbaijan initiated a military offensive in the disputed region which ended with the surrender of the self-declared Republic of Artsakh and mass displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh . Ilham Aliyev

297-673: A strictly secular and anti-religious ideology, represses all religions. The majority of the population in Azerbaijan is Muslim. According to Michigan State University political scientist Ani Sarkissian, "the Azerbaijani government attempts to control religious practice to keep it from becoming an independent social force that might threaten the nondemocratic nature of the regime." The government censors religious literature and closes down religious institutions that it considers objectionable. Political speech by religious institutions

396-526: A final score of just 2%. Human rights activists have criticized Aliyev's record on LGBT rights. Azerbaijan's oil wealth has made it possible for the country to host lavish international events. Aliyev is the president of the National Olympic Committee since 1997. During his presidency, Azerbaijan hosted some international sports events such as the 2015 European Games , 4th Islamic Solidarity Games and 42nd Chess Olympiad and

495-409: A group of private industrial-commercial enterprises. In 1994–2003, he was vice-president, and later the first vice-president of SOCAR , the state-owned Azerbaijani oil and gas company. Since 1997, Aliyev is the president of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. In 1999, Ilham Aliyev was elected as the deputy chair of the ruling party New Azerbaijan Party and in 2001, he was elected to

594-665: A long history of using its criminal justice system to silence political rivals and journalists who criticize the corruption that has enriched Aliyev's relatives and inner circle of allies". Aliyev's authoritarian rule has shut down independent media outlets and suppressed opposition parties while holding elections deemed neither free nor fair by international monitoring groups. Baku has also banned international monitors from groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International "that have documented how authorities routinely use torture to extract false confessions from political prisoners jailed on trumped-up charges". Corruption in Azerbaijan

693-450: A mission that claimed that the elections were up to "German standards"; however, Lintner's group had been paid 819,500 euros through the laundromat moneylaundering scheme. According to the OCCRP , there is "ample evidence of its connection to the family of President Aliyev." Ilham Aliyev got 86.02% of votes in the 2018 presidential election. Major opposition parties did not participate in

792-434: A new smartphone application intended to allow citizens to watch the ballot counting in real time, and instead the app accidentally showed the results of the election before the election had taken place. The Central Election Commission tried to justify the incident by saying that the initially displayed results were those of the 2008 election, even though the candidates listed, including Jamil Hasanli in second place, were from

891-514: A positive image of his regime. Many observers see Aliyev as a dictator . He leads an authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan; elections are not free and fair, political power is concentrated in the hands of Aliyev and his extended family, corruption is rampant, and human rights violations are severe (including torture , arbitrary arrests , as well as harassment of journalists and non-governmental organizations ). The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continued during Aliyev's presidency and devolved into

990-610: A result of the long-term deprivation of cultural and educational rights and from the effects of economic neglect of their region". In the aftermath of the Talysh separatist movement and the attempt to establish the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic the Azerbaijani state "mounted a campaign of intimidation and repression against leading Talysh activists". Freedom of religion in Azerbaijan is substantially curtailed. The Azerbaijan government, which follows

1089-420: A special unit of YARASA was paraded for the first time. Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( Azerbaijani : İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev [ilˈhɑm hejˈdæɾ oɣˈlu æˈlijev] ; born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who has been the fourth and current president of Azerbaijan since 2003. The son and second child of former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev , Aliyev became

SECTION 10

#1732772583794

1188-598: A speech delivered on 15 July 2020, during the 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes , President Aliyev targeted the largest opposition party, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan . He declared that "we need to finish with the ' fifth column " and the Popular Front "worse than the Armenians". According to Azerbaijani sources as many as 120 people are currently held in jail, including some deputy leaders of

1287-450: A staple of officially sanctioned media" according to Minority Rights Group International , while "peace-building initiatives involving civil society actors are regularly vilified and sometimes result in physical assaults on the property and persons of those involved". The Lezgin people face discrimination and "feel forced to assimilate into Azeri identity to avoid economic and education discrimination". Talysh people have "suffered as

1386-775: A wide variety of human rights abuses, including "unlawful or arbitrary killing", "heavy restrictions on free expression, the press, and the internet", and "the worst forms of child labor". A 2022 human rights review of Azerbaijan by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination found that during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabagh Conflict , the Azerbaijani military committed "severe and grave human rights violations ... against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment and arbitrary detention as well as

1485-621: Is being sued for defamation in London by Azerbaijani MP, Javanshir Feyziyev , over two articles in OCCRP's award-winning Azerbaijan Laundromat series about money-laundering out of Azerbaijan. Ismayilova, OCCRP's lead reporter in Azerbaijan, is a key witness in the case. Aliyev was also included on a list of figures (others being the Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov , head of

1584-464: Is considered to be endemic in all areas of Azerbaijani politics . The ruling family has aroused suspicion from various independent media outlets for their vast wealth, as evidenced by the purchasing of extensive multimillion-dollar properties in Dubai , United Arab Emirates . Some measures have been taken against corruption in recent years. Issues of corruption in public service delivery were one of

1683-689: Is divided into two state services—State Security Service and Foreign Intelligence Service. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the emblem of the Foreign Intelligence Service in the spring of 2017. An order to approve the state program for improving the activities of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Azerbaijan Republic for 2017–2021 was signed by the president in December 2017. The YARASA Special Forces  [ az ; tr ] of

1782-403: Is forbidden and clerics are not allowed to run for political office. The government uses mosque closures to repress independent Muslim groups that act independently of the state. Clerics that act in ways objectionable to the state face dismissal and arrest. The government does not restrict religious conversion, but it does forbid proselytizing . One of the initial international documents in

1881-678: Is not the right option and he hopes that there can be a resumption of negotiations." During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War , in which France supported Azerbaijan's adversary Armenia , Aliyev demanded that French president Emmanuel Macron apologize for accusing Azerbaijan of using Syrian mercenaries . On 6 February 2004, Aliyev and Vladimir Putin , the president of Russia, signed the Moscow Declaration, which stated principles of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. On 16 February 2005 Aliyev participated in

1980-542: Is rampant in Azerbaijan. According to Transparency International, Azerbaijan scores just 30 on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index , indicating a serious problem with corruption. On 8 August 2017, Transparency Azerbaijan announced that it had scaled back its operations in the capital city of Baku, because the government would not approve an extension of the funding as it comes from outside

2079-416: Is rampant, and human rights violations are severe (which included torture , arbitrary arrests , as well as harassment of journalists and non-governmental organizations ). Many observers see Aliyev as a dictator. Human rights violations in Azerbaijan during Aliyev's presidency include torture , arbitrary arrests and harassment of journalists and non-governmental organizations . In

SECTION 20

#1732772583794

2178-539: Is the son of Heydar Aliyev , president of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003. His mother Zarifa Aliyeva was an Azerbaijani ophthalmologist . He also has an older sister, Sevil Aliyeva . In 1977, Ilham Aliyev entered the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-MSIIR) and in 1982, continued his education as a postgraduate . In 1985 he received a PhD degree in history. From 1985 to 1990 Aliyev lectured at MSIIR. From 1991 to 1994, he led

2277-496: Is unswervingly pro-government and under strict government control. According to a 2012 report of the NGO "Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS)" Azerbaijani citizens are unable to access objective and reliable news on human rights issues relevant to Azerbaijan and the population is under-informed about matters of public interest. Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several notable journalists. They jailed Mehman Aliyev,

2376-613: The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest , and with it, the right to host the 2012 one . These evictions angered many people and were well exposed in the press after hundreds were evicted for Crystal Hall to be built. Like in most other post-Soviet states, LGBT people face significant challenges not experienced by non- LGBT residents. While same-sex sexual activity has been legal since the repeal of Soviet-era anti-sodomy laws in 2000, Azerbaijan has no laws explicitly protecting LGBT people, and social acceptance of LGBT people remains low. Human rights organization ILGA-Europe has ranked Azerbaijan as

2475-399: The 2020 Nagorno-Karabagh Conflict . The Committee expressed deep concern regarding "severe and grave human rights violations committed during 2020 hostilities and beyond by the Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment and arbitrary detention as well as

2574-674: The Airbus Defence and Space Division. during a meeting with French entrepreneurs, he stated that the activities of some companies in the Republic of Artsakh is "unacceptable and violates international and national laws". Following his visit, Aliyev met with the French president in the Elysee Palace . French president Francois Hollande made a press statement in which he stated that "the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

2673-765: The Council of Europe , the Azerbaijani Government have released one hundred political prisoners, but many remain in custody, and opposition supporters continue to be detained without proof of wrongdoing. According to the pardon order signed by Ilham Aliyev , 51 prisoners considered as political prisoners by international human rights groups were released on 16 March 2019. In March 2011, opposition activists Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and Jabbar Savalan were arrested after they helped to organize Arab Spring -style protests through Facebook . Both were given prison terms on unrelated charges. Their arrests were protested by

2772-953: The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) of the EU. In 2006, Aliyev and Matti Vanhanen , president of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso , president of the commission, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership. In 2009, Azerbaijan was included in the Eastern Partnership Policy . In 2011, Aliyev and José Manuel Barroso concluded the Joint Declaration on the Southern Gas Corridor . On 6 February 2017, Aliyev visited Brussels ,

2871-654: The European Parliament , Human Rights Watch , and Index on Censorship . Amnesty International named both men prisoners of conscience and called for their immediate release. Jabbar Savalan was released from prison after 11 months on 26 December 2011. In April 2012, human rights and environmental activist Ogtay Gulaliyev was arrested and allegedly tortured; he was released in June. Later on in 2013, seven young activists, including four board members, of Nida Civic Movement were kidnapped and arrested after

2970-637: The Khojaly massacre , in which Azerbaijan claims that 613 Azerbaijanis had been massacred by the Armenian irregular forces and the 366th CIS regiment of the Soviet Union 20 years earlier, Human Rights Watch claims that 200+ Azerbaijanis were massacred, Aliyev posted on his official website: "Our main enemies are Armenians of the world and the hypocritical and corrupt politicians that they control". During his speech, Ilham Aliyev noted: "I once said that

3069-490: The U.S. State Department urged Azerbaijan to avoid using the pandemic to silence "civil society advocacy, opposition voices, or public discussion." These actions are widely seen as an attempt "to eliminate pro-democracy advocates and political rivals once and for all". The Amnesty International also urged to end the "violent persecution of opposition activists". International pressure has been exerted on Azerbaijan to release its number of political prisoners . Since joining

Foreign Intelligence Service (Azerbaijan) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3168-481: The ratification , everyone who claims to be the victim of a violation of his/(her) rights or liberties defined by ECHR as a result of the activity or inactivity of the Republic of Azerbaijan has right to sue against Azerbaijan before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). As of 2021 , Azerbaijan has the lowest rate of compliance of any Council of Europe member state with implementing leading judgements of

3267-671: The right to strike , social security , the right to vote and freedom of speech , conscience and thought . On 28 December 2001, the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted the Constitutional Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on 5 March 2002, the President signed a Decree on the application of this Law thus creation and functioning of

3366-576: The "increasing number of incidents of harassment, attacks and violence against civil society and social network activists and journalists in Azerbaijan". Nevertheless, the European Parliament appreciated the release of two bloggers and the creation of the new subcommittees of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Committee in the areas of justice, human rights and democracy, and delivered its thanks to Azerbaijan for

3465-452: The 2013 ballot. Aliyev's main rivals in the election were Jamil Hasanli and Igbal Agazade. In 2013, Amnesty International called on western leaders to speak up against the arrest of Anar Mammadli , prominent human rights activist and head of the independent Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, who was falsely charged with tax evasion and illegal business activity, after his organisation had reported widespread violations during

3564-541: The 2016 European Grand Prix . Aliyev attended various opening and award ceremonies where he awarded the winning prizes. Upon becoming president in 2003, Aliyev was positioned to enjoy a booming economy fueled by the oil and gas sector; Azerbaijan had the world's fastest rate of economic growth in the three-year period from 2005–2007. Azerbaijan's oil riches strengthened the stability of Aliyev's regime and enriched ruling elites in Azerbaijan. However, periods of low oil prices , as well as inflation , weakened

3663-524: The Aliyev family was implicated in the Azerbaijani laundromat scandal, which was a complex money-laundering scheme to pay off prominent European politicians to deflect criticism of Aliyev and promote a positive image of his regime. Aliyev rules an authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, as elections are not free and fair, power is concentrated in the hands of Aliyev and his extended family, corruption

3762-469: The Aliyevs' offshore companies, that Ilham and Mehriban Aliyevs had no legal right to open offshore companies, and that when these companies were opened, measures were taken to conceal the real owners. When registering the companies, Aliyev's daughters indicated property worth about $ 6 million. Investigation of Swedish television showed that offshore companies controlled by Aliyevs received from TeliaSonera

3861-535: The Armenian people should not be afraid of us, they should be afraid of their own leadership". Human rights in Azerbaijan International organizations have frequently alleged that Azerbaijan has violated human rights standards established in international law . Human Rights Watch issued a 2013 report accusing Azerbaijan of imprisoning and harassing political activists and human rights defenders. In 2019, Human Rights Watch called

3960-568: The Azerbaijani economy and slowed economic growth. Aliyev continued the neopatrimonial system inherited from his father. Azerbaijan's oligarchic system inhibited smaller businesses and blocked foreign investment outside the fossil fuels sector. Persistent pledges by Aliyev and Azerbaijani elites to prioritize economic diversification yielded few major results, as the country remained largely depended on oil and gas. The International Monetary Fund has urged Azerbaijan to diverse its economy. Efforts to economically liberalize were inhibited by

4059-597: The Azerbaijani government for its human rights record. Among other concerns, authorities have been accused of arbitrary arrests , indefinite detentions , severe beatings , torture , and forced disappearances . Despite the existence of independent news outlets, journalists who criticize the government are often severely harassed, imprisoned, and even physically assaulted. In the 2013-14 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders , Azerbaijan ranked 160th out of an overall total of 180 nations. The Government has often been criticized for failing to improve

Foreign Intelligence Service (Azerbaijan) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4158-425: The Azerbaijani regime engages in extensive lobbying efforts, using complex money-laundering and bribery schemes discovered during the Azerbaijani laundromat scandal, such as Caviar diplomacy , to pay off prominent European politicians to deflect and whitewash criticism of Aliyev and promote a positive image of his regime and gain support for Azerbaijani projects. During Aliyev's presidency, in 2019, Azerbaijan

4257-635: The ECtHR from the last 10 years. Leading judgements are a subset of cases involving serious or systemic human rights violations and only 4% of such cases against Azerbaijan led to a rectification of the underlying human rights violation. Overall 47 leading ECtHR judgments against Azerbaijan have not been implemented. Azerbaijan became a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. Several independent bodies, such as Human Rights Watch , have repeatedly criticized

4356-474: The Electoral Code in accordance with OSCE and Council of Europe requirements and standards, which include inking of voters, more transparency of voter lists, and the prohibition of government interference in the election process. During the 2008 presidential elections, PACE observers included a large group of frankly pro-Azerbaijani MPs. The variant of the statement on elections, prepared by the head of

4455-703: The Foreign Intelligence Service took part in the Lachin offensive during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War . Fighters of the YARASA Special Forces also worked mainly in the rear of the Armenian Army positions, participating in taking control of a number of settlements of Azerbaijan during the hostilities. In particular, they were among the first to enter the city of Qubadli . During the Victory Parade held on 10 December on Azadliq Square ,

4554-520: The NATO-led " Resolute Support " mission in Afghanistan. On 10 January 2017 Ilham Aliyev announced 2017 as the year of Islamic Solidarity and allocated funds to organize the related events. In 2014 and 2015, Aliyev allocated funds from Presidential Reserve Fund multiple time towards efforts to promote "interreligious dialogue and tolerance" and to restore monuments in Azerbaijan. Corruption

4653-556: The Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva ) accused of accepting bribes of 1,000,000$ USD from MP candidates to guarantee their "election win" and inclusion to the parliament. This high-level corruption scandal is widely called the Gulargate . Azerbaijan's oil wealth has made it possible for the regime to engage in extensive lobbying efforts. In 2017,

4752-561: The Press survey with a score of 79 out of 100. The authorities use a range of measures to restrict the freedom of the media within the country. Opposition and independent media outlets and journalists have their access to print-houses and distribution networks limited, or can find themselves facing defamation charges and crippling fines and are subject to intimidation tactics, including imprisonment on fabricated charges. Most Azerbaijanis receive their information from mainstream television, which

4851-543: The Swedish telecommunications company, a factual bribe in the form of shares of Azercell cellular operator in the amount of 600–700 million dollars (due to the estimate of 2005), which was purchased for only 6.5 million dollars. In a resolution on 10 September 2015, the European Parliament called on the EU authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of allegations of corruption against Ilham Aliyev and his family members. Journalist Khadija Ismayilova , who worked for

4950-476: The United States government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , carried out journalistic investigations, and claimed that Aliyev's family controlled some companies such as " Azerfon ", "Azenco", and assets worth $ 3 billion in the largest Azerbaijani banks. Ismayilova was later detained in December 2014 and sentenced in September 2015 to 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 years in prison on trumped-up charges. She

5049-710: The act based over the Naghorno Karabakh conflict between the two countries from 1988 to 1994. Safarov had been tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary. However, after being extradited to Azerbaijan, Safarov received a hero's welcome, promoted to the rank of major, and given an apartment and over eight years of back pay, covering the time he had spent in jail. While in office, Aliyev has made numerous anti-Armenian statements, and claiming historically Armenian territory for Azerbaijan. Shortly after thousands of Azerbaijani people gathered to commemorate

SECTION 50

#1732772583794

5148-509: The age of 20 were granted voting rights before the UK (1928), Spain, and Portugal (1931). All citizens of Azerbaijan have the right to elect and be elected, and to participate in referendums. The Parliament of Azerbaijan adopted the Electoral Code on 27 May 2003. Although Azerbaijan is nominally a secular and representative democracy , recent elections there have widely been contested as fraudulent and 'seriously flawed. Azerbaijani media coverage of

5247-460: The arrested young men as prisoners of conscience. However, in 2014, four of them, and in 2016, other four members of NIDA have been released by a presidential order. Amnesty International welcomed that development. Next 4 members of NIDA were among the prisoners pardoned by the presidential order dated 16 March 2019 which was welcomed by European External Action Service . Azerbaijan is ranked 'Not Free' by Freedom House in its annual Freedom of

5346-458: The association has been on a steady decline for some years, but it has seen a dramatic deterioration since mid-2012". In April 2014 RPT-European human rights organization reported that human rights, particularly freedom of expression, assembly and association, are deteriorating in Azerbaijan. In a screed delivered on 15 July 2020, the day after a pro-military rally in Baku, President Aliyev targeted

5445-698: The authorities' fear of political liberalization. Currency devaluation has been another economic challenge under Aliyev's tenure. In a rare public criticism of other government officials, Aliyev criticized his Economy Minister Shakhin Mustafayev and other Cabinet members for frequently shifting economic forecasts, and for seeking to block economic reforms by blackmailing and denigrating other officials. The Aliyev family have enriched themselves through their ties to state-run businesses. They own significant parts of several major Azerbaijani banks, construction firms and telecommunications firms, as well as partially own

5544-564: The capital of the EU, where he paid visits to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , with the president of the European Council , Commission President, and the Commissioner for Energy Union. which resulted in signing the "Partnership Priorities" between EU and Azerbaijan on 11 July 2018. During 12–15 March 2017, Aliyev made an official visit to France and met with executive officials of international companies SUEZ , DCNS , CIFAL , Space Systems in

5643-710: The ceremony of opening the Year of Azerbaijan in Russia. On 29 June 2006, Ilham Aliyev and Dmitry Medvedev , former president of the Russian Federation, concluded a joint statement on the Caspian Sea . In 2018, Aliyev and Putin signed Joint Statement on Priority Areas of Economic Cooperation between the two countries. Aliyev met with Russian and Iranian leaders in Baku in 2016 to discuss terrorism, transnational organized crime, arms smuggling and drug trafficking in

5742-676: The charges against many journalists are "fabricated" and "politicized". At the end of 2014, eight journalists remained behind bars. International instances such as the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe have consistently refuted the justifications by the Azerbaijani authorities that jailed journalists had been prosecuted and sentenced for common crimes. Prison conditions for journalists are reported as dire, with routine ill-treatment and denial of medical care. According to RFE/RL , Azerbaijan's government "has

5841-533: The city to make way for parks, business centers, and elite residential areas. The process was engineered by the Mayoralty of Baku and was often carried out without proper warning. The compensations offered were well below the market value. The residents also felt they had few options to win a case in court if they filed a lawsuit. In some cases, demolitions continued regardless of court orders prohibition to do so. Forced evictions worsened in 2011 after Azerbaijan won

5940-513: The conduct of the election itself. Ilham Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 with 87% of the polls. A total of seven candidates filed to run in the election who had to collect 40,000 voter signatures. According to the report of the Election Observation Delegation from the European Parliament the elections took place with no reported unrest and few minor electoral violations. The report also highlights numerous reforms to

6039-801: The contributions to the Eastern Partnership. In August 2017, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention published its mission report to Azerbaijan. At the invitation of the Government, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited Azerbaijan from 16 to 25 May 2016. In August 2022, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination highlighted human rights abuses committed by Azerbaijani military personnel against people of Armenian ethnic origin during

SECTION 60

#1732772583794

6138-496: The country's oil and gas industries. Much of the wealth is hidden in offshore companies. The 2021 Pandora Papers leaks showed that the Aliyev family built a vast offshore network to hide their money. The family and their close associates have secretly been involved in property deals in the UK worth more than £400 million. Andrew Higgins, writing in The Washington Post , stated in 2010 that Azerbaijanis with

6237-453: The country's oil and gas industries. Much of the wealth is hidden through an elaborate network of offshore companies. Aliyev was named Corruption's 'Person of the Year' by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in 2012. In 2017, it was revealed that Aliyev and his family were involved in the Azerbaijani laundromat , a complex money-laundering scheme to pay off prominent European politicians to deflect criticism of Aliyev and promote

6336-448: The country's president on 31 October 2003, after a two-month term as prime minister of Azerbaijan , through a presidential election defined by irregularities shortly before his father's death. He was reelected for a second term in 2008 and was allowed to run in elections indefinitely in 2013 , 2018 and 2024 due to the 2009 constitutional referendum , which removed term limits for presidents. Throughout his electoral campaign, Aliyev

6435-404: The country. According to Transparency International "The blanket ban on foreign grants has brought the country's civil society to a halt and has dealt a devastating blow to civic initiatives across the board". Discrimination against LGBT people is severe in Azerbaijan. In 2020, ILGA-Europe again declared Azerbaijan the worst country in all of Europe for LGBT rights, with the country receiving

6534-543: The destruction of houses, schools, and other civilian facilities". Human rights are considered exceptionally poor in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan , dubbed "Azerbaijan's North Korea " by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in 2007. Nakhchivan is an autonomous republic, formerly under the governorship of Vasif Talibov for over 17 years before his resignation in 2022. Concerns have been raised regarding police brutality, impunity, extensive limitations on civil liberties, and corruption. Nakhchivan has been described as

6633-469: The destruction of houses, schools, and other civilian facilities". The Constitution of Azerbaijan contains 48 Articles regarding principal human and civil rights. Section 3 of the Constitution establishes the major rights and freedoms of citizens of Azerbaijan, including human rights , property rights , equality rights , intellectual property rights , civil rights , the rights of the accused ,

6732-586: The director of an independent media outlet. Aliyev is the director of the Turan news agency. "On August 25, 2017, a court in Baku placed Aliyev in pretrial detention for three months during the investigation against him." However, 16 days later- on 11 September 2017, Baku Appellate Court reversed the judgment of the court of the first instance and released Mr. Aliyev. Several international institutions such as European Federation of Journalists welcomed release of Mr Aliyev. The Committee to Protect Journalists has stated

6831-610: The election is considered to be overwhelmingly biased in favor of the administration. Also, former president Heidar Aliyev, is known to have filled the Central and Local electoral commissions with government supporters prior to various key elections since 2003. Irregular incidents such as voting chiefs running off with the ballots, ballot stuffing , multiple voting, and vote tampering were recorded by international monitors. Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized for bribing members and officials from international organizations to legitimize

6930-412: The election, and evidence indicates that the election was fraudulent. Azerbaijani foreign relations under Aliyev included strengthened cooperation with the European Union (EU), strong economic ties with Russia , cooperation with NATO via the NATO–Azerbaijan Individual Partnership Action Plan , and close relations with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). using Azerbaijan's oil wealth,

7029-455: The election. Observers from the OSCE / ODIHR spoke of restrictions on freedom of speech during elections. The US State Department described the elections as not meeting international standards, and expressing solidarity with the ODIHR's assessment. There was a controversy over election observers who had allegedly been paid by the Azerbaijani regime through the Azerbaijani laundromat scandal. A German former lawmaker Eduard Lintner led

7128-519: The fraudulent elections, a practice which has been termed as " caviar diplomacy ". Recently this has been the case with MEPs of the European Parliament, whose positive assessment of Azerbaijani elections sparked a major scandal in Europe. European Stability Initiative (ESI) think tank has published a series of detailed reports exposing the vested interest of the observation missions participating in Azerbaijani elections. Up until May 2005, there

7227-429: The government of Hungary to transfer convicted murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan to complete the rest of his prison term. While attending a NATO-sponsored English-language course in Hungary, Safarov had murdered an Armenian lieutenant, Gurgen Margaryan , who was also taking the course, while Margaryan was asleep. Safarov admitted that he committed the crime and surrendered himself to the police. Safarov has justified

7326-560: The government sets working conditions. According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs , Azerbaijan has made "minimal advancement" in child labor protection and that "children in Azerbaijan are subjected to the worst forms of child labor", On 12 May 2011, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Azerbaijani "human rights violations" and "oppression of opposition forces". The resolution mentioned concern for Eynulla Fatullayev , Jabbar Savalan , and other prisoners by name, as well as general concern for

7425-552: The government were beaten and arrested. Police were known to detain opposition activists, in an attempt to 'convince' them into giving up their political work. Youth movement members and opposition members were detained for conspiring to overthrow the government, a charge that has not been substantiated. After the elections, not a single opposition rally was allowed. According to the Human Rights Watch 2013 report, "Azerbaijan’s record on freedom of expression, assembly, and

7524-458: The group of observers Andreas Herkel, containing critical remarks, faced the rejection of the pro-Azerbaijani group consisting of Michael Hancock, Eduard Lintner and Paul Ville. Herkel was forced to declare his resignation if criticism did not go into the statement. During the referendum, which lifted the limits on the number of presidential terms for Ilham Aliyev, four PACE deputies – Eduard Litner, Paul Ville, Khaki Keskin and Pedro Agramunt evaluated

7623-583: The human rights field was the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on 26 November 1998. The Council of Europe admitted Azerbaijan to the full-membership on 25 January 2001. Azerbaijan ratified the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) on 15 April 2002. Since

7722-417: The largest opposition party, the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan . He declared that "we need to finish with the 'fifth column'" and the Popular Front is "worse than the Armenians." Azerbaijani security services began arresting party members and others. According to Azerbaijani sources as many as 120 people are currently held in jail, including some deputy leaders of the party as well as journalists. On 20 July

7821-403: The legal and institutional framework for fighting corruption in the covered countries by the signing parties. Since then, Azerbaijan has actively taken part in the monitoring rounds. For the records of reports and updates see. According to Human Rights Watch , beginning in 2008, as part of the urban renewal campaign in Baku, thousands of homeowners were evicted from their houses in many parts of

7920-467: The legal framework for the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The country is accused of ethnic cleansing , in 2023 having used a blockade of the Lachin corridor and the a land invasion to induce the evacuation of the Armenian population out of Nagorno-Karabakh . In the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , hate speech against Armenians "continues to be

8019-563: The party as well as journalists. On 20 July the U.S. State Department urged Azerbaijan to avoid using the pandemic to silence "civil society advocacy, opposition voices, or public discussion". These actions are widely seen as an attempt "to eliminate pro-democracy advocates and political rivals once and for all". According to RFE/RL , "Aliyev's authoritarian rule has shut down independent media outlets and suppressed opposition parties while holding elections deemed neither free nor fair by international monitoring groups". In 2012, Aliyev convinced

8118-495: The person of the year in organized crime and corruption. Also in 2012, CNBC produced the film Filthy Rich about corruption which also mentioned the Aliyev family. According to a 2013 investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the Aliyev family owned at least four offshore companies directly connected with Hassan Gozal. ICIJ stated that family members never declared

8217-598: The post of first deputy chair at the Second Congress of the Party. At the third Congress of the New Azerbaijan Party held on 26 March 2005, President Aliyev and the first deputy of the Party was unanimously elected to the post of chairman of the Party. The fourth and fifth congresses of the party held in 2008 and 2013 unanimously supported his nomination for the next presidential term. In 1995, Aliyev

8316-465: The problematic areas within the public sector. To eliminate corruption in public service delivery, a new preventive institution, namely, the Azerbaijan service assessment network ( ASAN ) ( asan means "easy" in the Azerbaijani) was established by Presidential Decree in 2012. Currently, this institution provides 34 services for 10 state bodies. It was the first one-stop-shop service delivery model in

8415-601: The protests held against the non-combat military deaths in March and April in Baku. They are charged with preparing the riots during the protests in Baku. Initially, the young people were charged with illegal possession of weapons and drugs. As reported by International human rights organization Amnesty International , some of the eight activists of NIDA, who were arrested on false charges (including 17-year-old Shahin Novruzlu), were tortured. Amnesty International recognized all

8514-498: The referendum as the progress of democracy. In a constitutional referendum in 2009 , term limits for the presidency were abolished. The opposition claimed this to be a violation of the Azerbaijani constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights . European Commission said the step "signalled a serious setback". In the 2013 presidential elections held on 9 October, Aliyev claimed victory with 85 percent of

8613-964: The region. the trilateral summit signed a declaration to develop the International North–South Transport Corridor , which would run from India to Saint Petersburg , providing better alternatives to existing sea routes. Aliyev has met with multiple U.S. presidents during his tenure: George W. Bush , Barack Obama , and Donald Trump . During Aliyev's presidency, Azerbaijan joined the Individual Partnership Action Plan . Azerbaijan has completed NATO-Azerbaijan Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) documents for three periods. Ilham Aliyev introduced Azerbaijan's first IPAP to NATO in Brussels on 19 May 2014. Aliyev has attended several NATO summits and other meetings. Azerbaijan contributed to

8712-543: The same names as Ilham Aliyev's three children owned real estate in Dubai worth about $ 75 million. Higgins stated that some members of the family are indeed wealthy, such as the president's older daughter, Leyla, married to Emin Agalarov, a Russian billionaire, and relatives of the first lady who have businesses in Azerbaijan. In 2012, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project called Ilham Aliyev

8811-511: The situation of human rights in Azerbaijan "appalling", citing "rigid control" by the government, "severely curtailing freedoms of association, expression, and assembly", as well as "torture and ill-treatment" of journalists, lawyers, and opposition activists. According to Reporters without Borders , Azerbaijan ranks 167 of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index . A 2020 report by the U.S. State Department accused Azerbaijan of

8910-499: The situation of civil liberties. Public demonstrations against the ruling regime are not tolerated, and authorities often use violence to disperse protests. Azerbaijan was the first country in the East that provided women with the right to vote. According to the Law passed in the parliament, on 21 July 1919, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) all citizens of the Republic who had reached

9009-583: The vote, securing a third five-year term. The election results were accidentally released before the polls opened. Election observation delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament claimed to have observed a free, fair and transparent electoral process with no evidence of voter intimidation. A day before voting began, however, the Central Election Commission released

9108-527: The world to provide the services of various state bodies rather than only the services of one state body. Azerbaijan has signed the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan ( Istanbul Action Plan , or IAP) which covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan and the other ACN countries in 2003. The Implementation of the plan includes regular and systematic peer review of

9207-484: The worst state in Europe for LGBT rights protection each year since 2015. Labour rights in Azerbaijan are substantially constrained. Labor rights activists face repression in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani law nominally allows the formation of labor unions and the right to strike, but in practice, most unions collaborate with the authoritarian regime, many categories of workers are prohibited from striking, and most major industries are dominated by state-owned enterprises where

9306-570: Was a member of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party , which he has headed since 2005. Azerbaijan being oil-rich is viewed to have significantly strengthened the stability of Aliyev's regime and enriched ruling elites in Azerbaijan, making it possible for the country to host lavish international events, as well as engage in extensive lobbying efforts. Aliyev's family have enriched themselves through their ties to state-run businesses. They own significant parts of several major Azerbaijani banks, construction firms and telecommunications firms, and partially own

9405-551: Was appointed as prime minister . The official results of the 15 October 2003 elections gave victory to Ilham Aliyev, who earned 76.84% of the votes. The election was defined by election fraud. Human Rights Watch and the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe documented arrests of opposition candidates, police violence against journalists and participants in election rallies, and "widespread fraud and abuse" in

9504-496: Was conditionally released in May 2016, in 2020 she was still subject to a travel ban and had been unable to leave the country despite numerous applications to do so. Lawyers will be seeking permission for Ismayilova to travel to the UK to give evidence in the trial of Paul Radu , a Romanian journalist who is co-founder and executive director of investigative reporting group OCCRP (the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ). Radu

9603-691: Was elected chair of the Turkic Council , as well as Non-Aligned Movement for a three-year mandate. Ilham Aliyev attended and addressed the general debates of the 59th, 65th and 72 sessions (2004, 2010, 2017) of the UN General Assembly . Ilham Aliyev expanded cooperation with the European Union (EU) during his presidency, using caviar diplomacy as a controversial technique of persuading European officials to support Azerbaijani projects. in 2004, Azerbaijan became part of

9702-476: Was elected to the Parliament of Republic of Azerbaijan ; later he became president of the National Olympic Committee (still incumbent). From 2001 to 2003, Aliyev was head of the Azerbaijani delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In August 2003, while his father Heydar Aliyev was still formally president of Azerbaijan but was ill and absent from public events, Ilham Aliyev

9801-530: Was no legal protection for freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan. The blanket ban on opposition gatherings was lifted by presidential decree after national pressure, but events leading up to parliamentary elections later that year proved this to be merely a nominal change for a very short time. The authorities denied opposition supporters the right to demonstrate or hold rallies in or near any city centers and special places were designated for this purpose. Those attending opposition rallies that had not been sanctioned by

#793206