Work has been stopped at the fields in Karabakh: what does this mean? Opinion from Baku
The seventeenth day of the protest staged by Azerbaijani activists on the Lachin road saw the trucks of Russian peacekeepers driving towards Khankendi (Armenian: Stepanakert). It was also reported that the company conducting mining operations there has suspended its activity.
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On the seventeenth day of the protest by Azerbaijani public and environmental activists on the road connecting Khankendi with Armenia, 45 trucks from the Russian peacekeeping contingent drove along the corridor from Armenia in the direction of Khankendi.
JAMnews asked political observer Gadzhi Namazov to comment on the situation on the Lachin road.
What did Vardanyan and the RCC agree on?
According to Namazov:
“Today Armenian sources reported a meeting between the commander of the RCC, Andrei Volkov, and the de facto head of the Karabakh Armenians, Ruben Vardanyan. A few hours after this meeting, information appeared about the passage of 45 trucks in the direction of Khankendi.
I believe that Vardanyan managed to reach some agreements with Volkov on the delivery of essential goods to Khankendi, although Baku has been saying since the first day of the protest that the corridor is open for civilians and humanitarian cargo. It is strange if the RCC has begun to perform courier services for the Karabakh Armenians.
I emphasize that this is the first such case, and over the past sixteen days, a shortage of goods has formed in Khankendi and adjacent territories. And the number of trucks is quite understandable. But if this trend continues, I am sure that Baku will not sit idly by.
Why? Because the activists holding a protest on the Lachin road do not check the contents of the RCC trucks. And who will guarantee that Vardanyan, the Kremlin protege, did not agree with the RCC on the transportation of weapons?
In the coming days it will become clearer what is happening.”
International monitoring in Karabakh?
Namazov also commented on the news about the suspension of operations by Base Metal, an illegal mining company in the part of Karabakh controlled by the RCC:
“Armenian sources note that the company has suspended its activities in order to conduct international monitoring at the fields in Karabakh.
There are two very big “buts” here.
First: Karabakh is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, and not a single monitoring group can enter the territory of the country without the permission of official Baku. This is well understood, both in Yerevan and in Khankendi.
Let me remind you that even the EU monitoring group could not get to the site of the protest on the Lachin road. What can we say about a monitoring group for deposits?
Second: For almost a month Azerbaijan has been seeking monitoring by representatives of the relevant government agencies at two deposits where illegal gold and copper mining has been carried out for years. Without the admission of Azerbaijani specialists to these deposits, there can be no talk of any other monitoring.
As for the direct suspension of the activities of the mining company, this can be called the first success of the protest of Azerbaijani activists. It is clear that the ore mined at these deposits is no longer exported to Armenia – there is no possibility of this. And what should a mining company do under such circumstances? They understand that the situation that existed there before December 12, the first day of the protest, will never obtain again.”
Azerbaijani Rights Activist on Hunger
Strike, Protesting Arrest
December 28, 2022
Aziza Goyushzade
Parvana Bayramova
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev meets with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN —
Imprisoned Azerbaijani human rights activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been on a hunger strike for about two weeks, according to a human rights defender in Baku.
Rufat Safarov told VOA that Hajiyev's health is reaching a critical point. According to Safarov, Hajiyev’s lawyer met with him on December 27 and said Hajiyev is experiencing numbness in his right arm. He also said Hajiyev’s blood sugar has decreased to the point of coma, while his blood pressure has dropped sharply.
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Independent doctor Adil Qeybulla told VOA that he also met the human rights activist on Tuesday upon approval from the general medical department of the Ministry of Justice based on numerous requests from civil society members.
“Mr. Hajiyev’s condition is satisfactory,” Qeybulla said. “He complains of mild dizziness. His hemodynamic parameters are stable. His consciousness is clear. The ability to communicate and coordinate is normal. There is no danger to his life. He has been advised to end the hunger strike.”
In addition to Qeybulla, doctors from the general medical department also met with Hajiyev.
Azerbaijani lawyer Shahla Humbatova told VOA that Hajiyev looks weak but refuses to end his hunger strike.
“I conveyed to him the request of his friends, acquaintances and those who are concerned about him to stop the hunger strike. He categorically refused and said that he would continue the hunger strike until the end. He said that [if he is not freed], he will begin a dry hunger strike, and there is no other way out for him,” Humbatova said.
Prison officials say Hajiyev is under medical supervision, and his health is normal.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a prominent human rights defender, was arrested on December 9 and is being detained for 50 days until he faces trial on charges of “hooliganism” and “disrespect for court.”
Hajiyev has denied the allegations, saying he is being persecuted for his political activities, including criticism of the government in international forums.
Numerous local and international organizations have condemned Azerbaijani authorities for Hajiyev’s arrest and demanded his release.
But Humbatova told VOA that Hajiyev wants more.
“He said that he expects tougher reactions from the local society, international organizations and embassies in Azerbaijan to [the] illegalities and arbitrariness against him,” Humbatova said.
This story originated in VOA’s Azerbaijani Service.
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