Azerbaijan silences activists and journalists at home and abroad, OC Media writes

Since late November, the Azerbaijani authorities have targeted at least seven Azerbaijani activists and media representatives based abroad. Since mid-2023, at least 24 bloggers, journalists, political analysts, and socio-political activists living outside Azerbaijan have had criminal cases opened against them, OC Media writes.

The process is all the same. First, they are summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office. Then, a court issues an arrest order in absentia. After that, their cases are referred to trial. The charges tend to be for making public calls directed against the state and committing such acts repeatedly or with a group. All learned about their arrest warrants and trials through news broadcasts on the country’s public broadcaster.

In the last two months, along with Zahid, the Azerbaijani authorities have targeted political analyst Arastun Orujlu, historian Altay Goyushov, journalists Sevinj Osmangizi and Beydulla Manafov, and bloggers Abid Gafarov, Manaf Jalilzade, and Vagif Allahverdiyev.

Speaking to OC Media, Zahid — like the others accused — says he does not accept the charges. He believes the Azerbaijani government is trying to silence critical voices, noting that such tactics have been widely used in other authoritarian countries.

As noted, another aim of Azerbaijan’s government is to instill fear among critics while also creating a legal basis for future action, especially amid global political shifts.

‘Azerbaijan’s position is strengthening. Europe’s energy needs are increasing due to problems with Russia. Azerbaijan thinks: let’s build a legal base now so that later we can use political bargaining — “return these people to us, and we’ll supply you the oil and gas”. For that, a legal foundation is needed — and that’s what they’re creating’, he says.