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Spotlight on Azerbaijan
Spotlight on azerbaijan provides an in-depth but accessible analysis of the major challenges Azerbaijan faces regarding democratic development, rule of law, media freedom, property rights and a number of other key governance and human rights issues while examining the impact of its international relationships, the economy and the unresolved nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the domestic situation. it argues that UK, EU and Western engagement in Azerbaijan needs to go beyond energy diplomacy but that increased engagement must be matched by stronger pressure for reform. Edited by Adam hug (Foreign policy Centre) Spotlight on Azerbaijan contains contributions from leading Azerbaijan experts including: Vugar Bayramov (Centre for Economic and Social Development), Michelle Brady (American Bar Association Rule of law initiative), giorgi gogia (human Rights Watch), Vugar gojayev (human Rights house-Azerbaijan) , Jacqueline hale (oSi-EU), Rashid hajili (Media Rights institute), tabib huseynov, Monica Martinez (oSCE), Dr Katy pearce (University of Washington), Firdevs Robinson (FpC) and Denis Sammut (linKS). The Foreign Policy Centre Spotlight on Suite 11, Second floor 23-28 Penn Street London N1 5DL United Kingdom www.fpc.org.uk [email protected] aZERBaIJaN © Foreign Policy Centre 2011 Edited by adam Hug all rights reserved ISBN-13 978-1-905833-24-5 ISBN-10 1-905833-24-5 £4.95 Spotlight on Azerbaijan Edited by Adam Hug First published in May 2012 by The Foreign Policy Centre Suite 11, Second Floor, 23-28 Penn Street London N1 5DL www.fpc.org.uk [email protected] © Foreign Policy Centre 2012 All Rights Reserved ISBN 13: 978-1-905833-24-5 ISBN 10: 1-905833-24-5 Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foreign Policy Centre. -
Azerbaijan: Downward Spiral: Continuing Crackdown on Freedoms in Azerbaijan
DOWNWARD SPIRAL: CONTINUING CRACKDOWN ON FREEDOMS IN AZERBAIJAN Amnesty International Publications First published in 2013 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org © Amnesty International Publications 2013 Index: EUR 55/010/2013 Original Language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries, please contact [email protected] Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5 2. Shrinking space for free media ................................................................................... 7 2.1 The continuing use of defamation suits to silence government critics ........................ 7 2.2 State control of broadcast media ........................................................................... 8 2.3 Harassment, intimidation and imprisonment of journalists ...................................... -
Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy on Condition of Right
Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy On condition of right to property in 2011-2012 in Azerbaijan Authors: Ulviyya Asadzada Ziya Guliyev Editor: Zohrab Ismayil Corrector: Kamala Aghayeva Baku, Qanun Publication House, 2013 Funded by National Endowment for Democracy. CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ECHR European Court of Human Rights PAAFE Public Union for Assistance to Free Economy OJSC Open Joint-Stock Company SOCAR State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic UN United Nations SSC State Statistics Committee SCPI State Committee on Property Issues PU Public Union EA Executive Authority PUHRE Public Union on Human Rights Education Ltd. Limited Liability Company HCPU Housing Communal Production Union Navy Naval Forces IPD Institute for Peace and Democracy Mass-media Mass-media 1. SUMMARY The research shows that the causes of the violations of property rights is not a sectoral. Such violations are due to many reasons. One of the main reasons behind the violation of the right to property is similar to other violations of law is itt’s inability to ensure rule of law, dependence of courts on executive structures, politically motivated decisions. İn this regard, attention is brought to the lack of independence of the judicial system of Azerbaijan, and the cases of corruption in the court system in a number of international reports. While analysing the cases of violation of the right to property, in 2011 it becomes evident that the courts have made decisions in favour of the executive authority structures instead of citizens. This decreases the belief of citizens toward the court, causes a situation as if they have “voluntarily” abandoned their properties and “gave up”. -
Azerbaijan: Freedom in the World 2018 Country Report | Freedom
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2018 Azerbaijan 12 NOT FREE /100 Political Rights 3 /40 Civil Liberties 9 /60 LAST YEAR'S SCORE & STATUS 14 /100 Not Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. Note The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Nagorno- Karabakh, which is examined in a separate report. Overview In Azerbaijan’s authoritarian government, power remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003. Corruption is rampant, and following years of persecution, formal political opposition is weak. The regime has overseen an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent years, leaving little room for independent expression or activism. Key Developments in 2017 • President Aliyev appointed his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, as vice president in February. The post had been created via constitutional changes that were pushed through in 2016 without meaningful parliamentary debate or public consultation. • In May, a Baku court upheld a ban on five independent media websites, on grounds that they threatened national security. • In September, Azerbaijani police arrested dozens as part of a crackdown on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. • An investigation by international media outlets exposed a $2.9 billion money- laundering scheme and slush fund used to lobby for Azerbaijani interests in Europe, and to benefit the Azerbaijani elite. Recipients of money from the so- called Azerbaijani Laundromat reportedly included former members of the Council of Europe. Political Rights A. Electoral Process A1 0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 0 / 4 Since the early 1990s, elections have not been considered credible or competitive by international observers. -
Azerbaijan 2015 Human Rights Report
AZERBAIJAN 2015 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Azerbaijani constitution provides for a republic with a presidential form of government. Legislative authority is vested in the Milli Mejlis. The president dominated the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) canceled its observation of the November 1 legislative elections when the government refused to accept ODIHR’s recommended number of election monitors. Without ODIHR observation, it was impossible to assess fully the conduct of the Parliamentary election; independent local and international monitors alleged irregularities throughout the country. The 2013 presidential election did not meet a number of key OSCE standards for democratic elections. Separatists, with Armenia’s support, continued to control most of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other Azerbaijani territories, and 622,892 persons reportedly remained internally displaced in December 2014 as a result of the unresolved conflict. There was an increase in violence along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Military actions throughout the year resulted in the highest number of deaths in one year since the signing of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, including six confirmed civilian casualties. Civilian authorities maintained effective control over Azerbaijani security forces. The most significant human rights problems during the year included: 1. Increased government restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association that were reflected in the intimidation, incarceration on questionable charges, and use of force against human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and some of their relatives. The operating space for activists and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) remained severely constrained. -
Industry and Society in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1870- Present
OIL CAPITAL: INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY IN BAKU, AZERBAIJAN, 1870- PRESENT by REBECCA LINDSAY HASTINGS A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of History and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2020 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Rebecca Lindsay Hastings Title: Oil Capital: Industry and Society in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1870-Present This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of History by: Julie Hessler Chairperson, Advisor Julie Weise Core Member Ryan Jones Core Member Alexander Murphy Institutional Representative and Kate Mondloch Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School Degree awarded June 2020 ii © 2020 Rebecca Lindsay Hastings iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Rebecca Lindsay Hastings Doctor of Philosophy Department of History June 2020 Title: Oil Capital: Industry and Society in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1870-Present This dissertation is a historical study of the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, and its oil industry from the 1870s to the present, covering the tsarist Russian, Soviet, and post- Soviet eras. The history of the Baku oil industry offers a clear, focused example of the social and physical effects of the imposition of external parties’ financial and commodity demands on an urban-industrial setting. Baku as an urban environment, comprising not just the physical elements of the city but also its sociocultural communities, has embodied priorities imposed on the oil industry that have shifted as the global importance of oil and natural gas has grown, as those commodities’ uses have changed over time, and according to successive regimes’ respective political and economic ideologies. -
Azerbaijan and the 2013 Presidential Election
Azerbaijan and the 2013 presidential election Standard Note: SNIA/6650 Last updated: 25 October 2013 Author: Ben Smith Section International Affairs and Defence Section Human rights abuses are widely reported to have worsened in Azerbaijan, particularly in the run up to the 2013 presidential election, won by the incumbent Ilham Aliyev by a very wide margin. Freedoms of expression and of assembly are heavily curtailed. Conflicting reports from election monitors have caused controversy. Corruption continues to be highlighted by many NGOs as a serious problem in the country, which is rich in oil and gas. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s stability, its friendly strategic relations with the West and distance from Iran, and particularly its large hydrocarbon reserves and strong economic relations with UK companies, make it a valuable ally for many. There are still major concerns, however, about the possibility of renewed violence between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, occupied by Armenia since 1992. The dispute remains one of the dominant domestic political issues and Azerbaijan has been spending large sums on re-arming. Contents 1 Elections 3 1.1 The 2013 presidential election 4 1.2 Election results 5 1.3 Controversy over election monitoring 5 2 Political issues 7 2.1 Corruption 7 2.2 Human rights 7 2.3 Nagorno-Karabakh dispute 9 Background 9 UN Resolutions and breaches of international law 10 3 Foreign policy 11 3.1 Relations with the European Union 11 Lobbying by the Government of Azerbaijan 13 Relations with the UK 14 3.2 NATO, defence and strategic relations 14 3.3 Russia 15 4 Cultural background 16 Religion 16 5 Economy 17 2 • Population: 9.4 million (World Bank, 2012) • Capital: Baku • Area: 86,600 sq km (33,400 sq miles) • Major languages: Azeri, Russian • Major religion: Islam • Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN) • Monetary unit: 1 manat = 100 qapik • Main exports: Oil, oil products • GNI per capita: US $5,290 (World Bank, 2011)1 Azerbaijan became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. -
Writenet Azerbaijan
writenet is a network of researchers and writers on human rights, forced migration, ethnic and political conflict WRITENET writenet is the resource base of practical management (uk) e-mail: [email protected] independent analysis AZERBAIJAN: SITUATION ANALYSIS AND TREND ASSESSMENT A Writenet Report commissioned by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Status Determination and Protection Information Section (DIP) February 2008 Caveat: Writenet papers are prepared mainly on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. The papers are not, and do not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. The views expressed in the paper are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Writenet or UNHCR. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms ................................................................................................... i Executive Summary .................................................................................ii 1 Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Geography and Demographics....................................................................1 1.2 Historical Overview......................................................................................1 1.3 Developments since 2003 .............................................................................3 2 Socio-Political Context -
En En Report
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2009 - 2014 Plenary sitting A7-0418/2013 29.11.2013 REPORT on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2012 and the European Union's policy on the matter (2013/2152(INI)) Committee on Foreign Affairs Rapporteur: Eduard Kukan RR\1011672EN.doc PE516.771v02-00 EN United in diversityEN PR_INI CONTENTS Page MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION.............................................3 OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT .....................................................29 OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY32 ANNEX I ..................................................................................................................................36 ANNEX II.................................................................................................................................58 RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE.......................................................................62 PE516.771v02-00 2/62 RR\1011672EN.doc EN MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2012 and the European Union policy on the matter (2013/2152(INI)) The European Parliament, – having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other UN human rights treaties and instruments, – having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000 (A/Res/55/2) and the relevant resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly, – having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), – having -
Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict
Order Code IB92109 CRS Issue Brief for Congress Received through the CRS Web Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Updated August 8, 2003 Carol Migdalovitz Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CONTENTS SUMMARY MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS History Warfare Peace Process A Cease-fire Took Effect on May 12, 1994 Armenian Perspective Azerbaijani Perspective Roles and Views of Others Iran Turkey Russia/CIS U.S. Policy Executive Branch Congress Public IB92109 08-08-03 Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict SUMMARY The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, a clash nia and Karabakh, peacekeepers, and, most of between the principles of territorial integrity all, Karabakh’s status. In December 1996, an and self-determination, is the longest intereth- OSCE Chairman’s statement, supported by all nic dispute in the former Soviet Union. Eth- members except Armenia, referred to Azeri nic Armenians, the majority in the Nagorno territorial integrity as a basis for a settlement. Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, have a differ- Armenian President Ter Petrosyan accepted ent culture, religion, and language than Azeris. May 1997 Minsk Group proposals, and was They seek to join Armenia or to become forced from power in February 1998. independent. Azerbaijan seeks to preserve its national integrity. The dispute has produced In November 1998, a Minsk Group violence, mutual expulsion of rival nationals, proposal took Armenian views more into charges and countercharges. After the Decem- account. Armenia accepted it, but Azerbaijan ber 1991 demise of the Soviet Union and rejected it. Armenian President Kocharian and subsequent dispersal of sophisticated Soviet Azerbaijan President Aliyev have met directly weaponry, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict many times since July 1999. -
AZERBAIJAN 21 December 2020 Pre-Existing Situation and Impact of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Secondary Data Review AZERBAIJAN 21 December 2020 Pre-existing situation and impact of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Fighting broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh on 27 September following months of increasing tension. For more than six weeks, fighting and displacement took place in Nagorno-Karabakh and the sur- rounding areas, leading to close to 150 casualties, including 50 civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh and 98 civilian deaths in Azerbaijan (ICG 14/10/2020; Human Rights Ombudsman 9/11/2020; Prosecutor Gener- al’s Office 30/11/2020). Furthermore, 2,317 soldiers on the Armenian side were killed (The Guardian 14/11/2020), along with 2,783 soldiers from Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence 03/12/2020). More than 130,000 people were displaced as a result of the conflict, including 90,640 from within Nagorno-Karabakh who arrived in Armenia (IOM 11/12/2020), and approximately 40,000 temporarily displaced in regions close to the line of contact (LoC) on the Azerbaijani side (Republic of Azerbaijan 09/11/2020), the majority of whom had been able to return to their homes by early December (key informant interview 14/12/2020). A ceasefire agreement was signed between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on 9 November, which – as at mid-December – is still being upheld. According to this agreement, Azerbaijan will control the parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that it seized during the fighting, and will also be transferred control of seven territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh that had previously been controlled by Armenia (Tom de Waal 09/11/2020; Al Jazeera 09/11/2020; BBC 10/11/2020). -
Succeeding in Azerbaijan the Dentons Guide for Businesses
Succeeding in Azerbaijan The Dentons Guide for Businesses 2018 Edition Succeeding in Azerbaijan The Dentons Guide for Businesses 2018 Edition Dentons’ Baku Office Hyatt International Center Hyatt Tower 2, 8 Izmir Street Baku AZ1065, Azerbaijan Telephone: +994 12 490 75 65 Telefax: +994 12 497 10 57 [email protected] [email protected] Dedication This book is dedicated to the beautiful country and the warm people of Azerbaijan. The information given in this Guide is generally accurate as of 1 May 2018. Content Preface • 4 Chapter 12 Real estate and property ownership • 93 Chapter 1 Chapter 13 Coming to Azerbaijan: Visas, work permits Leases • 103 and police registrations • 7 Chapter 14 Chapter 2 Employment • 107 Setting up and closing down operations • 13 Chapter 15 Currency regulation • 115 Chapter 3 Corporate governance • 19 Chapter 16 Licensing and permits • 119 Chapter 4 Banking and finance • 29 Chapter 17 Intellectual property • Regulatory framework, money laundering • 31 125 Prudential norms and disclosure • 33 Chapter 18 Language: The use of Azerbaijani • Chapter 5 131 Investment funds • 41 Chapter 19 ASAN Service • Chapter 6 135 Secured transactions • 47 Chapter 20 Legislative system • Chapter 7 143 Taxation and social security • 55 Chapter 21 Dispute resolution—the courts Chapter 8 and arbitration • Oil and gas taxation • 67 149 Chapter 9 Contributing authors • 156 Trade: imports and exports • 75 Global presence • 160 Chapter 10 What the Press Says • 162 Customs duties and regimes • 81 Chapter 11 Handling audits • 89 Abbreviations used in this guide EPA – Export Pipeline Agreement PSA – Exploration, Development and Production Sharing Agreement Preface This booklet is the twelfth edition of our business guide, which represents the collective knowledge and experience of our Firm after many years advising clients in Azerbaijan.