| AZERBAIJAN Republic of Azerbaijan Azarbaycan Respublikasi Joined United Nations: 2 March 1992 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 12/03/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Baku (Baki, Baky)
8,303,512 (July 2010 est.)
Yaqub Eyyubov
First Deputy Prime Minister
since June 2006
First Deputy Prime Minister
since June 2006
President elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a
second term); election last held 15 October 2008
Next scheduled election: October 2013
second term); election last held 15 October 2008
Next scheduled election: October 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister appointed by
the president and confirmed by the National Assembly.
Elections last held: 7 November 2010
Next scheduled election: November 2015
the president and confirmed by the National Assembly.
Elections last held: 7 November 2010
Next scheduled election: November 2015
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census)
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
note: almost all Armenians live in the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.)
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 59 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular), 1 autonomous republic (muxtar respublika) ;
Legal system is based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2008 (next to be
held in October 2013); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2015)
Judicial: Supreme Court
Legal system is based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: President elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 October 2008 (next to be
held in October 2013); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2015)
Judicial: Supreme Court
| LANGUAGES |
Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.3%, unspecified 1% (1999 census)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The cave of Azykh in the territory of the Fizuli district in the Republic of Azerbaijan is considered to be the site of one of the most
ancient proto-human habitations in Eurasia. Remnants of the pre-Acheulean culture were found in the lowest layers of the Azykh
cave. This culture is one of the oldest, and in many ways similar to the Olduvai culture in Tanzania, and Walloon culture in the
southeast of France. The Paleolithic (Homo Sapiens) period in what is now Azerbaijan is represented by finds at Aveidag, Taglar,
Damjily, Yatagery, Dash Salakhly and some other sites. Carved drawings etched on rocks in Qobustan, south of Baku,
demonstrate scenes of hunting, fishing, labor and dancing, and are dated to the Mesolithic period. The Neolithic period (ca. 6th -
4th millennia BC) was the period of transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Many Neolithic settlements have been
discovered in Azerbaijan, and carbon-dated artifacts show that during this period, people built homes, made copper weapons, and
were familiar with irrigated agriculture. The influence of ancient peoples and civilizations including the Sumerians and Elamites came
to a crossroads in the territory of Azerbaijan. A variety of Caucasian peoples appear to be the earliest inhabitants of the South
Caucasus with the notable Caucasian Albanians being their most prominently known representative. In the 8th century BC, the semi-
nomadic Cimmerians and Scythians settled in the territory of kingdom of Mannai. The Assyrians also had a civilization that
flourished to the west of Lake Urmia in the centuries prior to creation of Media and Albania. Caucasian Albanians are believed to
be the earliest inhabitants of Azerbaijan. Early invaders included the Scythians in the ninth century BCE. The South Caucasus was
eventually conquered by the Achaemenids around 550 BCE. During this period, Zoroastrianism spread in Azerbaijan. The
Achaemenids in turn were defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. Following the decline of the Seleucids in Persia in 247
BCE, an Armenian Kingdom exercised control over parts of Azerbaijan between 190 BCE to 428 CE. Caucasian Albanians
established a kingdom in the 1st century BCE and largely remained independent until the Sassanids made the kingdom a province in
252 CE. Caucasian Albania's ruler, King Urnayr, officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century CE, and
Albania would remain a Christian state until the 8th century. Sassanid control ended with their defeat by Muslim Arabs in 642 CE.
Following the overthrow of the Median Empire, all of what is today Azerbaijan was invaded by the Persian king Cyrus in the 6th
century BCE. This empire was also quite short-lived and was conquered barely two centuries later by Alexander the Great and led
to the rise of Hellenistic culture throughout the former Persian Empire. The successive migration and settlement of Eurasian and
Central Asian nomads continued to be a familiar pattern in the history of the Caucasus since ancient times, from the era of Sassanid-
Persian empire to emergence of Azerbaijani Turks by the 20th century CE. Among the Iranian nomads who made incursion into and
from Azerbaijan are the Scythians, Alans and Cimmerians. Altaic Nomads such as Khazars and Huns made incursions during the
Hunnic and Khazar era. The walls and fortification of Darband were built during the Sassanid era in order to block nomads coming
from the caucus pass. However, they did not make permanent settlements. Muslim Arabs defeated the Sassanids and Byzantines as
they marched into the Caucasus region. The Arabs made Caucasian Albania a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by
Prince Javanshir, surrendered in 667. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, Arab authors began to refer to the region between the
Kura and Aras rivers as Arran. Despite pockets of continued resistance, the majority of the inhabitants of Azerbaijan converted to
Islam. Later on in the 10th and 11th centuries, Kurdish dynasties of Shaddadid and Rawadid ruled parts of Azerbaijan. The Seljuq
period of Azerbaijan's history was possibly even more pivotal than the Arab conquest as it helped shape the ethno-linguistic
nationality of the modern Azerbaijani Turks. After decline of Abbasid Khalifate, the territory of Azerbaijan was under the sway of
numerous dynasties such as the Salarids, Sajids, Shaddadids, Rawadids and Buyids. However at the beginning of the 11th century,
the territory was gradually seized by waves of Oghuz Turkic tribes emanating from Central Asia. The first of these Turkic dynasties
was the Ghaznavids from northern Afghanistan, who took over part of Azerbaijan by 1030. They were followed by the Seljuqs, a
western branch of the Oghuz who conquered all of Iran and the Caucasus and pressed on to Iraq where they overthrew the Buyids
in Baghdad in 1055. The Seljuqs became the main rulers of a vast empire that included all of Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan until the end
of 12th century. In 1225, Jalaleddin Kharazmshah put an end to the Atabeg rule. The last Il-khanid ruler, Abu Sa'id, died without an
heir which led to the Ilkhan state's disintegration into small sultanates. The next state in the territory of Azerbaijan, in the 1330s, was
that of the Jalayirids, who ruled Iraq, western Persia, and most of Azerbaijan. The Jalayirid Sultanate lasted about fifty years, until it
was disrupted by Tamerlane's conquests and the revolts of the Kara Koyunlu or 'Black Sheep Turks'. Tamerlane (Amir Timur)
launched a devastating invasion of Azerbaijan in 1380s, and temporarily incorporated Azerbaijan into his vast domain that spanned
much of Eurasia. The Shirvanshah state under Shirvanshah Ibrahim I were also vassals of Timur and assisted Timur in his war with
the Mongol ruler Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde. Azerbaijan experienced social unrest and religious strife during this period due
to sectarian conflict initiated by Hurufi, Bektashi and other movements. Following Timur's death in 1405, his fourth son Shah-Rukh
came to power and reigned until 1446. To the west of Shah-Rukh's domain two new rival Turkic states emerged - the Kara
Koyunlu based around Lake Van and the Ak Koyunlu (or White Sheep Turks) centered around Diyarbakır. The Safavid
(Safaviyeh) were a Sufi religious order formed in 1330s by Sheikh Safi Al-Din (1252–1334), after whom it was eponymously
named. This Sufi order openly converted to the heterodox branch of twelver Shi'ism by the end of the 15th century. Under the reign
of Shah Abbas I (1587 - 1630) the monarchy took on a distinctly Persian national identity that merged with Shi'ism. While civil
conflicts took hold in Iran, most of Azerbaijan was occupied by the Ottomans in the 18th century. Meanwhile, the coastal strip
along the Caspian Sea comprising Derbent, Baku and Salyan came under Imperial Russian rule, during the reign of Peter the Great,
from 1722 until 1735. Following their defeat by Russia, Qajar Persia was forced to sign the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, which
acknowledged the loss of the territory to Russia. Local khanates were either abolished (like in Baku or Ganja) or accepted Russian
patronage. Another Russo-Persian war in 1826-28 resulted in another crushing defeat for the Iranian army. The Russians dictated
another final settlement as per the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which resulted in the Qajars of Persia ceding Caucasian territories in
1828. The treaty established the current borders of Azerbaijan and Iran as the rule of local khans ended. In the Russian controlled
territories, two provinces were established that later constituted the bulk of the modern Republic - Elisavetpol (Ganja) province in
the west, and Shamakha province in the east. At the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, an independent republic was
proclaimed in Ganja on May 28, 1918 following an abortive attempt to establish a federal Transcaucasian Republic with Armenia
and Georgia. After the peaceful surrender of the national government to Bolshevik forces, Azerbaijan was proclaimed a Soviet
Socialist Republic on April 28, 1920. During the 1940s, the Azerbaijan SSR supplied much of the Soviet Union's gas and oil during
the war with Nazi Germany and was thus a strategically important region. Unrest culminated in violent confrontation when Soviet
troops killed 132 nationalist demonstrators in Baku on January, 20 1990. Azerbaijan declared its independence from the USSR on
August 30, 1991, and became part of the Commonwealth of Independent States. By the end of 1991 fighting in Nagorno-
Karabakh had escalated into a full scale war, which culminated into a tense cease-fire that has persisted into the 21st century.
Although a cease-fire was achieved, the refusal to negotiate by both sides resulted in a stalemate as Armenian troops retained their
positions in Karabakh as well as corridors taken from Azerbaijan that connect the enclave to Armenia. The declaration of
independence was followed by the dissolution of the Communist Party, although most of its membership retained their socio-
political positions. The last party secretary, Ayaz N. Mutalibov, was elected president of the republic in September 1991, and the
Supreme Soviet formally implemented the declaration of independence on October 18. Heydar Aliyev became ill and, in April
2003, collapsed on stage and could not return to public life. By summer 2003 he was placed into intensive care in the U.S. where
he was pronounced dead on December 12, 2003. In yet another controversial election, his son Ilham Aliyev was elected president.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Azerbaijan
ancient proto-human habitations in Eurasia. Remnants of the pre-Acheulean culture were found in the lowest layers of the Azykh
cave. This culture is one of the oldest, and in many ways similar to the Olduvai culture in Tanzania, and Walloon culture in the
southeast of France. The Paleolithic (Homo Sapiens) period in what is now Azerbaijan is represented by finds at Aveidag, Taglar,
Damjily, Yatagery, Dash Salakhly and some other sites. Carved drawings etched on rocks in Qobustan, south of Baku,
demonstrate scenes of hunting, fishing, labor and dancing, and are dated to the Mesolithic period. The Neolithic period (ca. 6th -
4th millennia BC) was the period of transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. Many Neolithic settlements have been
discovered in Azerbaijan, and carbon-dated artifacts show that during this period, people built homes, made copper weapons, and
were familiar with irrigated agriculture. The influence of ancient peoples and civilizations including the Sumerians and Elamites came
to a crossroads in the territory of Azerbaijan. A variety of Caucasian peoples appear to be the earliest inhabitants of the South
Caucasus with the notable Caucasian Albanians being their most prominently known representative. In the 8th century BC, the semi-
nomadic Cimmerians and Scythians settled in the territory of kingdom of Mannai. The Assyrians also had a civilization that
flourished to the west of Lake Urmia in the centuries prior to creation of Media and Albania. Caucasian Albanians are believed to
be the earliest inhabitants of Azerbaijan. Early invaders included the Scythians in the ninth century BCE. The South Caucasus was
eventually conquered by the Achaemenids around 550 BCE. During this period, Zoroastrianism spread in Azerbaijan. The
Achaemenids in turn were defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE. Following the decline of the Seleucids in Persia in 247
BCE, an Armenian Kingdom exercised control over parts of Azerbaijan between 190 BCE to 428 CE. Caucasian Albanians
established a kingdom in the 1st century BCE and largely remained independent until the Sassanids made the kingdom a province in
252 CE. Caucasian Albania's ruler, King Urnayr, officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century CE, and
Albania would remain a Christian state until the 8th century. Sassanid control ended with their defeat by Muslim Arabs in 642 CE.
Following the overthrow of the Median Empire, all of what is today Azerbaijan was invaded by the Persian king Cyrus in the 6th
century BCE. This empire was also quite short-lived and was conquered barely two centuries later by Alexander the Great and led
to the rise of Hellenistic culture throughout the former Persian Empire. The successive migration and settlement of Eurasian and
Central Asian nomads continued to be a familiar pattern in the history of the Caucasus since ancient times, from the era of Sassanid-
Persian empire to emergence of Azerbaijani Turks by the 20th century CE. Among the Iranian nomads who made incursion into and
from Azerbaijan are the Scythians, Alans and Cimmerians. Altaic Nomads such as Khazars and Huns made incursions during the
Hunnic and Khazar era. The walls and fortification of Darband were built during the Sassanid era in order to block nomads coming
from the caucus pass. However, they did not make permanent settlements. Muslim Arabs defeated the Sassanids and Byzantines as
they marched into the Caucasus region. The Arabs made Caucasian Albania a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by
Prince Javanshir, surrendered in 667. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, Arab authors began to refer to the region between the
Kura and Aras rivers as Arran. Despite pockets of continued resistance, the majority of the inhabitants of Azerbaijan converted to
Islam. Later on in the 10th and 11th centuries, Kurdish dynasties of Shaddadid and Rawadid ruled parts of Azerbaijan. The Seljuq
period of Azerbaijan's history was possibly even more pivotal than the Arab conquest as it helped shape the ethno-linguistic
nationality of the modern Azerbaijani Turks. After decline of Abbasid Khalifate, the territory of Azerbaijan was under the sway of
numerous dynasties such as the Salarids, Sajids, Shaddadids, Rawadids and Buyids. However at the beginning of the 11th century,
the territory was gradually seized by waves of Oghuz Turkic tribes emanating from Central Asia. The first of these Turkic dynasties
was the Ghaznavids from northern Afghanistan, who took over part of Azerbaijan by 1030. They were followed by the Seljuqs, a
western branch of the Oghuz who conquered all of Iran and the Caucasus and pressed on to Iraq where they overthrew the Buyids
in Baghdad in 1055. The Seljuqs became the main rulers of a vast empire that included all of Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan until the end
of 12th century. In 1225, Jalaleddin Kharazmshah put an end to the Atabeg rule. The last Il-khanid ruler, Abu Sa'id, died without an
heir which led to the Ilkhan state's disintegration into small sultanates. The next state in the territory of Azerbaijan, in the 1330s, was
that of the Jalayirids, who ruled Iraq, western Persia, and most of Azerbaijan. The Jalayirid Sultanate lasted about fifty years, until it
was disrupted by Tamerlane's conquests and the revolts of the Kara Koyunlu or 'Black Sheep Turks'. Tamerlane (Amir Timur)
launched a devastating invasion of Azerbaijan in 1380s, and temporarily incorporated Azerbaijan into his vast domain that spanned
much of Eurasia. The Shirvanshah state under Shirvanshah Ibrahim I were also vassals of Timur and assisted Timur in his war with
the Mongol ruler Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde. Azerbaijan experienced social unrest and religious strife during this period due
to sectarian conflict initiated by Hurufi, Bektashi and other movements. Following Timur's death in 1405, his fourth son Shah-Rukh
came to power and reigned until 1446. To the west of Shah-Rukh's domain two new rival Turkic states emerged - the Kara
Koyunlu based around Lake Van and the Ak Koyunlu (or White Sheep Turks) centered around Diyarbakır. The Safavid
(Safaviyeh) were a Sufi religious order formed in 1330s by Sheikh Safi Al-Din (1252–1334), after whom it was eponymously
named. This Sufi order openly converted to the heterodox branch of twelver Shi'ism by the end of the 15th century. Under the reign
of Shah Abbas I (1587 - 1630) the monarchy took on a distinctly Persian national identity that merged with Shi'ism. While civil
conflicts took hold in Iran, most of Azerbaijan was occupied by the Ottomans in the 18th century. Meanwhile, the coastal strip
along the Caspian Sea comprising Derbent, Baku and Salyan came under Imperial Russian rule, during the reign of Peter the Great,
from 1722 until 1735. Following their defeat by Russia, Qajar Persia was forced to sign the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, which
acknowledged the loss of the territory to Russia. Local khanates were either abolished (like in Baku or Ganja) or accepted Russian
patronage. Another Russo-Persian war in 1826-28 resulted in another crushing defeat for the Iranian army. The Russians dictated
another final settlement as per the Treaty of Turkmenchay, which resulted in the Qajars of Persia ceding Caucasian territories in
1828. The treaty established the current borders of Azerbaijan and Iran as the rule of local khans ended. In the Russian controlled
territories, two provinces were established that later constituted the bulk of the modern Republic - Elisavetpol (Ganja) province in
the west, and Shamakha province in the east. At the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, an independent republic was
proclaimed in Ganja on May 28, 1918 following an abortive attempt to establish a federal Transcaucasian Republic with Armenia
and Georgia. After the peaceful surrender of the national government to Bolshevik forces, Azerbaijan was proclaimed a Soviet
Socialist Republic on April 28, 1920. During the 1940s, the Azerbaijan SSR supplied much of the Soviet Union's gas and oil during
the war with Nazi Germany and was thus a strategically important region. Unrest culminated in violent confrontation when Soviet
troops killed 132 nationalist demonstrators in Baku on January, 20 1990. Azerbaijan declared its independence from the USSR on
August 30, 1991, and became part of the Commonwealth of Independent States. By the end of 1991 fighting in Nagorno-
Karabakh had escalated into a full scale war, which culminated into a tense cease-fire that has persisted into the 21st century.
Although a cease-fire was achieved, the refusal to negotiate by both sides resulted in a stalemate as Armenian troops retained their
positions in Karabakh as well as corridors taken from Azerbaijan that connect the enclave to Armenia. The declaration of
independence was followed by the dissolution of the Communist Party, although most of its membership retained their socio-
political positions. The last party secretary, Ayaz N. Mutalibov, was elected president of the republic in September 1991, and the
Supreme Soviet formally implemented the declaration of independence on October 18. Heydar Aliyev became ill and, in April
2003, collapsed on stage and could not return to public life. By summer 2003 he was placed into intensive care in the U.S. where
he was pronounced dead on December 12, 2003. In yet another controversial election, his son Ilham Aliyev was elected president.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Azerbaijan
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Azerbaijan's high economic growth during 2006-08 was attributable to large and growing oil exports, but some non-export sectors
also featured double-digit growth, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors. In 2009, economic
growth remained above 9% even as oil prices moderated and growth in the construction sector cooled. The current global
economic slowdown presents some challenges for the Azerbaijani economy as oil prices remain below their mid-2008 highs,
highlighting Azerbaijan's reliance on energy exports and lackluster attempts to diversify its economy. In 2009 the government
continued to rely on financial transfers from the State Oil Fund to bridge its budget shortfalls. Azerbaijan's oil production has
increased dramatically since 1997, when Azerbaijan signed the first production-sharing arrangement (PSA) with the Azerbaijan
International Operating Company. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline remain the main economic driver while
efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. However, Azerbaijan has made only limited progress on instituting
market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a
drag on long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the
need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is
building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and
gas pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote sustainable growth in non-energy sectors
of the economy and spur employment.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Azerbaijan)
also featured double-digit growth, spurred by growth in the construction, banking, and real estate sectors. In 2009, economic
growth remained above 9% even as oil prices moderated and growth in the construction sector cooled. The current global
economic slowdown presents some challenges for the Azerbaijani economy as oil prices remain below their mid-2008 highs,
highlighting Azerbaijan's reliance on energy exports and lackluster attempts to diversify its economy. In 2009 the government
continued to rely on financial transfers from the State Oil Fund to bridge its budget shortfalls. Azerbaijan's oil production has
increased dramatically since 1997, when Azerbaijan signed the first production-sharing arrangement (PSA) with the Azerbaijan
International Operating Company. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline remain the main economic driver while
efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. However, Azerbaijan has made only limited progress on instituting
market-based economic reforms. Pervasive public and private sector corruption and structural economic inefficiencies remain a
drag on long-term growth, particularly in non-energy sectors. Several other obstacles impede Azerbaijan's economic progress: the
need for stepped up foreign investment in the non-energy sector and the continuing conflict with Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Trade with Russia and the other former Soviet republics is declining in importance, while trade is
building with Turkey and the nations of Europe. Long-term prospects will depend on world oil prices, the location of new oil and
gas pipelines in the region, and Azerbaijan's ability to manage its energy wealth to promote sustainable growth in non-energy sectors
of the economy and spur employment.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Azerbaijan)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Azerbaijan has a strong presidential system in which the legislative and judicial branches have only limited independence.
Aliyev was an absolute ruler. Demonstrations were often suppressed with violence and reports of torture were widespread. Sharp
censorship reinforced a pervasive personality cult.
The Speaker of Parliament stood next in line to the President, but the constitution was changed at the end of 2002: now the premier
is next in line. This was done to make it possible for the son of the 80-year old Heydar, İlham Aliyev to succeed his father, who was
admitted to a Turkish hospital on July 8, 2003 because of heart problems. In August, 2003, İlham was appointed as premier,
though Artur Rasizade, who had been prime minister since 1996, continued to fulfill the duties of that office so that İlham could
concentrate on his presidential election bid. In the October 2003 presidential elections, İlham was announced winner while
international observers reported several irregularities. He was sworn in as president at the end of the month, and Rasizade became
premier again. Since 2008, the Constitution of Azerbaijan was amended, abolishing any term limit for the office of President
In the 2010 parliamentary elections, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party strengthened its grasp on the legislative. President Ilham
Aliyev's ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party got a majority of 73 out of 125 seats.[2] The other seats went to nominally independent,
government-leaning candidates, and to "soft opposition" parties. The two major opposition parties (Musavat and the Parties of the
People’s Front of Azerbaijan) lost they previous 8 seats, thus featuring a no-opposition Parliament.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Azerbaijan
Aliyev was an absolute ruler. Demonstrations were often suppressed with violence and reports of torture were widespread. Sharp
censorship reinforced a pervasive personality cult.
The Speaker of Parliament stood next in line to the President, but the constitution was changed at the end of 2002: now the premier
is next in line. This was done to make it possible for the son of the 80-year old Heydar, İlham Aliyev to succeed his father, who was
admitted to a Turkish hospital on July 8, 2003 because of heart problems. In August, 2003, İlham was appointed as premier,
though Artur Rasizade, who had been prime minister since 1996, continued to fulfill the duties of that office so that İlham could
concentrate on his presidential election bid. In the October 2003 presidential elections, İlham was announced winner while
international observers reported several irregularities. He was sworn in as president at the end of the month, and Rasizade became
premier again. Since 2008, the Constitution of Azerbaijan was amended, abolishing any term limit for the office of President
In the 2010 parliamentary elections, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party strengthened its grasp on the legislative. President Ilham
Aliyev's ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party got a majority of 73 out of 125 seats.[2] The other seats went to nominally independent,
government-leaning candidates, and to "soft opposition" parties. The two major opposition parties (Musavat and the Parties of the
People’s Front of Azerbaijan) lost they previous 8 seats, thus featuring a no-opposition Parliament.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Azerbaijan
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of
Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic
Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route
through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to
mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while
Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters;
bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan
and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
Azerbaijan; over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic
Armenians were driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route
through Armenia to connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to
mediate dispute; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while
Iran continues to insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters;
bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan
and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
Refugees (country of origin): 2,400 (Russia)
IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2007)
IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; small government eradication program;
transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
transit point for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Azerbaijan
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Azerbaijan is a republic with a population of approximately nine million and a presidential form of government. Legislative authority is
vested in the Milli Majlis (National Assembly). In practice the president dominated the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of
government. Ilham Aliyev, the son of former president Heydar Aliyev, was reelected president for a second term in October 2008 in a
process that did not fully meet international standards for a democratic election. Election shortcomings included serious restrictions on
political participation and the media, pressure and restrictions on observers, and flawed vote counting and tabulation processes. The two-
term limit for the presidency was removed in a March referendum, the conduct of which was seriously flawed. Although there were
more than 50 political parties, the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party continued to dominate the political system. Ethnic Armenian separatists,
with Armenia's support, continued to control most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the country and seven surrounding Azerbaijani
territories. The government did not exercise any control over developments in those territories. Civilian authorities generally maintained
effective control of the security forces. Members of the security forces at national and local levels committed numerous human rights
abuses.
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Azerbaijan is a republic with a population of approximately nine million and a presidential form of government. Legislative authority is
vested in the Milli Majlis (National Assembly). In practice the president dominated the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of
government. Ilham Aliyev, the son of former president Heydar Aliyev, was reelected president for a second term in October 2008 in a
process that did not fully meet international standards for a democratic election. Election shortcomings included serious restrictions on
political participation and the media, pressure and restrictions on observers, and flawed vote counting and tabulation processes. The two-
term limit for the presidency was removed in a March referendum, the conduct of which was seriously flawed. Although there were
more than 50 political parties, the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party continued to dominate the political system. Ethnic Armenian separatists,
with Armenia's support, continued to control most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the country and seven surrounding Azerbaijani
territories. The government did not exercise any control over developments in those territories. Civilian authorities generally maintained
effective control of the security forces. Members of the security forces at national and local levels committed numerous human rights
abuses.
- The right of citizens to peacefully change their government was restricted in the October 2008 presidential election, March
referendum, and December municipal elections. - Torture and beating of persons in police and military custody resulted in at least four deaths and law enforcement officials acted
with impunity. - Prison conditions were generally harsh and life threatening.
- Arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly of individuals considered by the government to be political opponents, and lengthy
pretrial detention continued. - The government continued to imprison persons for politically motivated reasons.
- Pervasive corruption, including in the judiciary and law enforcement, continued.
- Restrictions on freedom of assembly continued, particularly in terms of political organizing, peaceful protests, and religious
activity. - Restrictions and pressure on the media and restrictions on political participation worsened.
- The government imposed restrictions on the activities of some unregistered Muslim and Christian groups and local officials
abused some members and congregations. - Cases of violence against women were also reported.
- Trafficking in persons for sexual exploitation and forced labor remained a problem.
8 December 2009
Committee against Torture
Forty-third session
Geneva, 2–20 November 2009
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention
Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture
Azerbaijan
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third periodic report of Azerbaijan and the written responses to the list of issues
(CAT/C/AZE/Q/3) submitted by the State party.
3. The Committee notes with appreciation the extensive dialogue with the high-level delegation sent by the State party and the replies
to the questions raised during the dialogue. It welcomes the State party’s constructive attitude towards implementation of its
recommendations, as shown by the adoption of numerous legal and policy reforms.
B. Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the recent legislative and other measures taken by the State party since the consideration of its
previous report, namely:
(a) Adoption of the Fight against Human Trafficking Law in 2005, the amendment of the Criminal Code (2005) and the
creation of a relief fund for victims of human trafficking;
(b) Adoption of a presidential order on the Modernization of Judiciary on 19 January 2006 and application of the Amendments,
dated 19 January 2006, establishing regional courts of appeal which address legal assistance to individuals, as well as the adoption of a
State programme on development of the Azerbaijani justice system for 2009–2013, which, inter alia, envisages improvements for
convicted persons;
C. Main subjects of concern and recommendations
1. Overarching considerations regarding implementation
7. Despite the Committee’s requests for specific statistical information in the list of issues and the oral dialogue with the State party,
the Committee regrets that it was not provided. The absence of comprehensive or disaggregated data on complaints, investigations,
prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement personnel, as well as concerning detention
conditions, abuse by public officials, and domestic and sexual violence severely hampers the identification of possible patterns of abuse
requiring attention (arts. 2 and 19).
The State party should compile statistical data relevant to the monitoring of the implementation of the Convention at the national level,
disaggregated by gender, age, geographical region and type and location of place of deprivation of liberty, as well as information on
complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment, detention conditions, abuse by public
officials, administrative detention, and domestic and sexual violence, and outcomes of all such complaints and cases. The State party
should provide the Committee with the above-mentioned detailed information, including on the number of complaints of torture that have
been submitted since 2003.
Click here to read more »
Committee against Torture
Forty-third session
Geneva, 2–20 November 2009
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention
Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture
Azerbaijan
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third periodic report of Azerbaijan and the written responses to the list of issues
(CAT/C/AZE/Q/3) submitted by the State party.
3. The Committee notes with appreciation the extensive dialogue with the high-level delegation sent by the State party and the replies
to the questions raised during the dialogue. It welcomes the State party’s constructive attitude towards implementation of its
recommendations, as shown by the adoption of numerous legal and policy reforms.
B. Positive aspects
4. The Committee welcomes the recent legislative and other measures taken by the State party since the consideration of its
previous report, namely:
(a) Adoption of the Fight against Human Trafficking Law in 2005, the amendment of the Criminal Code (2005) and the
creation of a relief fund for victims of human trafficking;
(b) Adoption of a presidential order on the Modernization of Judiciary on 19 January 2006 and application of the Amendments,
dated 19 January 2006, establishing regional courts of appeal which address legal assistance to individuals, as well as the adoption of a
State programme on development of the Azerbaijani justice system for 2009–2013, which, inter alia, envisages improvements for
convicted persons;
C. Main subjects of concern and recommendations
1. Overarching considerations regarding implementation
7. Despite the Committee’s requests for specific statistical information in the list of issues and the oral dialogue with the State party,
the Committee regrets that it was not provided. The absence of comprehensive or disaggregated data on complaints, investigations,
prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement personnel, as well as concerning detention
conditions, abuse by public officials, and domestic and sexual violence severely hampers the identification of possible patterns of abuse
requiring attention (arts. 2 and 19).
The State party should compile statistical data relevant to the monitoring of the implementation of the Convention at the national level,
disaggregated by gender, age, geographical region and type and location of place of deprivation of liberty, as well as information on
complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of cases of torture and ill-treatment, detention conditions, abuse by public
officials, administrative detention, and domestic and sexual violence, and outcomes of all such complaints and cases. The State party
should provide the Committee with the above-mentioned detailed information, including on the number of complaints of torture that have
been submitted since 2003.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is examined in a separate
report.
Overview
President Ilham Aliyev consolidated his authoritarian rule with a March 2009 referendum that eliminated presidential term limits. Also
during the year, the government increased regulatory restrictions on civil society groups and implemented a ban on foreign radio
broadcasts.
Aliyev easily won a second term in the October 2008 presidential election, taking 89 percent of the vote amid 75 percent turnout,
according to official results. Most of the political opposition chose to boycott the poll, citing barriers to meaningful media access and the
overwhelming influence of administrative resources deployed by the YAP. In March 2009, a constitutional amendment that removed
term limits for the president reportedly passed a referendum with more than 90 percent of the vote, allowing Aliyev to run again in 2013.
International mediators have failed to make progress on negotiations for a final settlement of the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a
region of Azerbaijan that has been ruled by ethnic Armenian separatists since the early 1990s. No country or international organization
recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh’s self-proclaimed independence.
Nagorno-Karabakh [Armenia/Azerbaijan] (2010)
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Partly Free
Overview
In October 2009, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic agreement to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their mutual border,
raising concerns in Azerbaijan and potentially affecting negotiations between Baku and Yerevan over a settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
status. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met several times in 2009, and although the talks were hailed as a breakthrough by
international negotiators, no concrete progress was reported by year’s end.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met again on several occasions in 2009, and while the talks were hailed as a breakthrough by
members of the Minsk Group, no immediate progress was reported by year’s end. In September, Matthew Bryza, a U.S. deputy
assistant secretary of state who had co-chaired the Minsk Group since 2006 and was frequently accused of taking a pro-Azerbaijan
stance, was replaced as the U.S. representative by ambassador Robert Bradtke.
Separately, following a year of delicate negotiations, the governments of Turkey and Armenia in October signed a historic agreement to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen their shared border, which Turkey had sealed in 1993 to show solidarity with Azerbaijan. To
Baku’s consternation, Turkey did not make resolution of Karabakh’s status a precondition for the agreement, but international
negotiators were closely watching for any effects the renewed Turkish-Armenian relations could have on talks between Baku and
Yerevan.
Nagorno-Karabakh has enjoyed de facto independence from Azerbaijan since 1994 and retains close political, economic, and military ties
with Armenia. While most previous elections were regarded as relatively free and fair, parliamentary and presidential votes held in 2005
and 2007 were criticized by the opposition for alleged fraud and other irregularities. All of these elections were considered invalid by the
international community, which does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence.
Click here to read more about Azerbaijan » Click here to read more about Nagorno-Karabakh »
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is examined in a separate
report.
Overview
President Ilham Aliyev consolidated his authoritarian rule with a March 2009 referendum that eliminated presidential term limits. Also
during the year, the government increased regulatory restrictions on civil society groups and implemented a ban on foreign radio
broadcasts.
Aliyev easily won a second term in the October 2008 presidential election, taking 89 percent of the vote amid 75 percent turnout,
according to official results. Most of the political opposition chose to boycott the poll, citing barriers to meaningful media access and the
overwhelming influence of administrative resources deployed by the YAP. In March 2009, a constitutional amendment that removed
term limits for the president reportedly passed a referendum with more than 90 percent of the vote, allowing Aliyev to run again in 2013.
International mediators have failed to make progress on negotiations for a final settlement of the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a
region of Azerbaijan that has been ruled by ethnic Armenian separatists since the early 1990s. No country or international organization
recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh’s self-proclaimed independence.
Nagorno-Karabakh [Armenia/Azerbaijan] (2010)
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Partly Free
Overview
In October 2009, Turkey and Armenia signed a historic agreement to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their mutual border,
raising concerns in Azerbaijan and potentially affecting negotiations between Baku and Yerevan over a settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
status. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met several times in 2009, and although the talks were hailed as a breakthrough by
international negotiators, no concrete progress was reported by year’s end.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met again on several occasions in 2009, and while the talks were hailed as a breakthrough by
members of the Minsk Group, no immediate progress was reported by year’s end. In September, Matthew Bryza, a U.S. deputy
assistant secretary of state who had co-chaired the Minsk Group since 2006 and was frequently accused of taking a pro-Azerbaijan
stance, was replaced as the U.S. representative by ambassador Robert Bradtke.
Separately, following a year of delicate negotiations, the governments of Turkey and Armenia in October signed a historic agreement to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen their shared border, which Turkey had sealed in 1993 to show solidarity with Azerbaijan. To
Baku’s consternation, Turkey did not make resolution of Karabakh’s status a precondition for the agreement, but international
negotiators were closely watching for any effects the renewed Turkish-Armenian relations could have on talks between Baku and
Yerevan.
Nagorno-Karabakh has enjoyed de facto independence from Azerbaijan since 1994 and retains close political, economic, and military ties
with Armenia. While most previous elections were regarded as relatively free and fair, parliamentary and presidential votes held in 2005
and 2007 were criticized by the opposition for alleged fraud and other irregularities. All of these elections were considered invalid by the
international community, which does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence.
Click here to read more about Azerbaijan » Click here to read more about Nagorno-Karabakh »
Azerbaijan urged to end harassment of activists
19 November 2010
Amnesty International calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop harassing civil society activists, after a youth activist and parliamentary
candidate who revealed election violations was detained at the country’s border.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was detained 18 November on the Azerbaijani-Georgia border and held overnight at a military drafting centre before
being released.
“Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’ arrest has all the hallmarks of the harassment and intimidation the Azerbaijani authorities all too often resort too in
respect of government critics," said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International.
“As a registered student and a parliamentary candidate he is doubly excused military service and he quite clearly should not have been
detained on these grounds.”
There are fears that Bakhtiyar Hajiyev could be forcibly drafted into the army. The Azerbaijani authorities have used forcible drafting
against government critics on previous occasions, including against editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who Amnesty International considers to be
a prisoner of conscience.
The arrests come after the conditional release earlier this week of youth activists, bloggers, and prisoners of conscience Emin Milli and
Adnan Hajizade, who had served 16 months of their respective 30 month and 24 month prison sentences for “hooliganism”.
Amnesty International continues to call for their conviction to be overturned as Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli were convicted on
fabricated charges after an unfair trial.
Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli’s lawyers have submitted their case to the European Court of Human Rights in the hope that it will quash
their convictions.
The pair were arrested on 8 July 2009 after they were attacked by two unknown men and were themselves accused of “hooliganism”.
Click here to read more »
19 November 2010
Amnesty International calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop harassing civil society activists, after a youth activist and parliamentary
candidate who revealed election violations was detained at the country’s border.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was detained 18 November on the Azerbaijani-Georgia border and held overnight at a military drafting centre before
being released.
“Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’ arrest has all the hallmarks of the harassment and intimidation the Azerbaijani authorities all too often resort too in
respect of government critics," said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International.
“As a registered student and a parliamentary candidate he is doubly excused military service and he quite clearly should not have been
detained on these grounds.”
There are fears that Bakhtiyar Hajiyev could be forcibly drafted into the army. The Azerbaijani authorities have used forcible drafting
against government critics on previous occasions, including against editor Eynulla Fatullayev, who Amnesty International considers to be
a prisoner of conscience.
The arrests come after the conditional release earlier this week of youth activists, bloggers, and prisoners of conscience Emin Milli and
Adnan Hajizade, who had served 16 months of their respective 30 month and 24 month prison sentences for “hooliganism”.
Amnesty International continues to call for their conviction to be overturned as Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli were convicted on
fabricated charges after an unfair trial.
Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli’s lawyers have submitted their case to the European Court of Human Rights in the hope that it will quash
their convictions.
The pair were arrested on 8 July 2009 after they were attacked by two unknown men and were themselves accused of “hooliganism”.
Click here to read more »
Azerbaijan: Blogger Is Free, but 2 Journalists Remain Jailed
Government Should Immediately Release Others and Drop All Charges
November 18, 2010
(New York) - The November 18, 2010 release of the blogger Adnan Hajizade was a positive step, but the Azerbaijani government should
also immediately free the imprisoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev and another blogger, Emin Milli, Human Rights Watch said today. The
government should also decriminalize libel and take other steps to uphold freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said.
The Baku Court of Appeals released Hajizade, a 27-year-old youth activist and blogger, on probation. Hajizade has served over half of a
two-year sentence on hooliganism charges. Many who have followed the case believe that the charges were fabricated in retaliation for
his criticism of the government and to silence him.
"We're thrilled that Hajizade is now free, but he never should have been imprisoned in the first place," said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus
researcher at Human Rights Watch. "If the government is serious about living up to its human rights commitments, it should immediately
free Emin Milli and Eynulla Fatullayev, vacate the convictions against all three of these journalists, and compensate them."
Hajizade and Milli were well-known for criticizing Azerbaijani government policies in blog postings and social networking sites and were
arrested in July 2009 a week after distributing a satirical YouTube video criticizing the authorities. The arrests followed an apparently
staged scuffle in a Baku restaurant. They were attacked by two assailants but then arrested as they tried to file an assault complaint at a
local police station.
Hajizade and Milli were convicted of hooliganism - Hajizade was sentenced to two years in prison and Milli to two-and-a-half years.
Fatullayev, a prominent journalist and founder of two popular newspapers, remains in detention despite a European Court of Human
Rights judgment in April ordering the government to free him immediately. Fatullayev has been serving an eight-and-a-half year sentence
since April 2007 for terrorism and inciting ethnic hatred as well as for civil and criminal defamation convictions based on his writings.
On November 11, the government cleared him of these charges, but orchestrated Fatullayev's continued detention pending an appeal on
drug possession charges brought while he was in prison, which many observers consider to have been fabricated.
These high-profile cases are part of a series of attacks on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. In October, Human Rights Watch
released the report "Beaten, Blacklisted, and Behind Bars: The Vanishing Space for Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan," documenting
the government's efforts to limit freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
Click here to read more »
Government Should Immediately Release Others and Drop All Charges
November 18, 2010
(New York) - The November 18, 2010 release of the blogger Adnan Hajizade was a positive step, but the Azerbaijani government should
also immediately free the imprisoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev and another blogger, Emin Milli, Human Rights Watch said today. The
government should also decriminalize libel and take other steps to uphold freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said.
The Baku Court of Appeals released Hajizade, a 27-year-old youth activist and blogger, on probation. Hajizade has served over half of a
two-year sentence on hooliganism charges. Many who have followed the case believe that the charges were fabricated in retaliation for
his criticism of the government and to silence him.
"We're thrilled that Hajizade is now free, but he never should have been imprisoned in the first place," said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus
researcher at Human Rights Watch. "If the government is serious about living up to its human rights commitments, it should immediately
free Emin Milli and Eynulla Fatullayev, vacate the convictions against all three of these journalists, and compensate them."
Hajizade and Milli were well-known for criticizing Azerbaijani government policies in blog postings and social networking sites and were
arrested in July 2009 a week after distributing a satirical YouTube video criticizing the authorities. The arrests followed an apparently
staged scuffle in a Baku restaurant. They were attacked by two assailants but then arrested as they tried to file an assault complaint at a
local police station.
Hajizade and Milli were convicted of hooliganism - Hajizade was sentenced to two years in prison and Milli to two-and-a-half years.
Fatullayev, a prominent journalist and founder of two popular newspapers, remains in detention despite a European Court of Human
Rights judgment in April ordering the government to free him immediately. Fatullayev has been serving an eight-and-a-half year sentence
since April 2007 for terrorism and inciting ethnic hatred as well as for civil and criminal defamation convictions based on his writings.
On November 11, the government cleared him of these charges, but orchestrated Fatullayev's continued detention pending an appeal on
drug possession charges brought while he was in prison, which many observers consider to have been fabricated.
These high-profile cases are part of a series of attacks on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. In October, Human Rights Watch
released the report "Beaten, Blacklisted, and Behind Bars: The Vanishing Space for Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan," documenting
the government's efforts to limit freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
Click here to read more »
Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly
23 September 2010
Mr. President,
The United Nations Security Council has adopted four resolutions and expressed its full support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of the territories. It has also recognized that Nagorno-
Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied
territories of Azerbaijan. The United Nations General Assembly and other international organizations, including the OSCE Council of
Europe, European Parliament, Organization of the Islamic Conference, have adopted a similar position. Unfortunately, despite the
consolidated position of the international community, Azerbaijani territories continue to remain under the occupation.
Armenia so far instead of negotiating in good faith with a view to finding a durable solution to the conflict as soon as possible, gives
preference to escalation with unpredictable consequences.
Despite ongoing political efforts towards the earliest resolution of the conflict, activities in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan are in gross
violation with international law and serve to further consolidation of the current status-quo of the occupation, securing the results of
ethnic cleansing and colonization of the captured territories, as well as cause serious obstruction to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Thus, over the period passed since the beginning of the conflict significant numbers of settlers have been encouraged to move into the
occupied areas depopulated of their Azerbaijani inhabitants. The OSCE dispatched in 2005 the fact-finding mission to the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, which found evidence of the presence of settlers there and made a call to “discourage any further settlement of
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan”.
Consistent measures are being undertaken by Armenia also with the purpose of altering the historical and cultural features of the
occupied areas in attempt to remove any signs testifying their original Azerbaijani cultural and historical roots. As a result, no single
Azerbaijani historic or cultural monument left undamaged and no sacred site escaped vandalism in the occupied territories.
Implantation of settlers as well as destruction and appropriation of historical and cultural heritage in the occupied areas, along with
various forms of illegal activity there, directly affect property rights of internally displaced persons.
The lack of agreement on political issues, protracted nature of the conflict and prolonged negotiations should not be used as a pretext for
not addressing other problems deriving from continued and deliberate disrespect for international humanitarian law and international
human rights law in connection with the conflict.
Click here to read more »
23 September 2010
Mr. President,
The United Nations Security Council has adopted four resolutions and expressed its full support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of the territories. It has also recognized that Nagorno-
Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied
territories of Azerbaijan. The United Nations General Assembly and other international organizations, including the OSCE Council of
Europe, European Parliament, Organization of the Islamic Conference, have adopted a similar position. Unfortunately, despite the
consolidated position of the international community, Azerbaijani territories continue to remain under the occupation.
Armenia so far instead of negotiating in good faith with a view to finding a durable solution to the conflict as soon as possible, gives
preference to escalation with unpredictable consequences.
Despite ongoing political efforts towards the earliest resolution of the conflict, activities in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan are in gross
violation with international law and serve to further consolidation of the current status-quo of the occupation, securing the results of
ethnic cleansing and colonization of the captured territories, as well as cause serious obstruction to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Thus, over the period passed since the beginning of the conflict significant numbers of settlers have been encouraged to move into the
occupied areas depopulated of their Azerbaijani inhabitants. The OSCE dispatched in 2005 the fact-finding mission to the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, which found evidence of the presence of settlers there and made a call to “discourage any further settlement of
the occupied territory of Azerbaijan”.
Consistent measures are being undertaken by Armenia also with the purpose of altering the historical and cultural features of the
occupied areas in attempt to remove any signs testifying their original Azerbaijani cultural and historical roots. As a result, no single
Azerbaijani historic or cultural monument left undamaged and no sacred site escaped vandalism in the occupied territories.
Implantation of settlers as well as destruction and appropriation of historical and cultural heritage in the occupied areas, along with
various forms of illegal activity there, directly affect property rights of internally displaced persons.
The lack of agreement on political issues, protracted nature of the conflict and prolonged negotiations should not be used as a pretext for
not addressing other problems deriving from continued and deliberate disrespect for international humanitarian law and international
human rights law in connection with the conflict.
Click here to read more »
05/11/10
Ombudsman and the representatives of her Office will observe the Parliamentary Elections
The Commissioner for Human Rights and the staff of her Office will observe the Parliamentary elections to be held on November 7,
2010. It should be noted the Commissioner and her staff participated in elections in previous years as independent observers,
delinquencies revealed were solved due to contacts established with the hot –line of Central Election Commission (CEC).
As it is known the Commissioner conducted public hearings in each of 58 districts of the country for monitoring the promotion and the
implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Protection of Human Rights, as well as for raising the awareness of population on
voting right on the eve of the Parliamentary elections in the country. The discussions were held with the participation of the
representatives of district executive powers, and municipalities, Interior affairs agencies, Prosecutor’s Office, courts, constituency
election commisions, as well as of local NGOs, mass-media and communities. The proposals made at the events will be considered
during the work process. During these public hearings the Commissioner visited the local constituency and polling election commissions,
noted the importance of the work to be carried with population by mobilizing the members of these commissions, municipalities and
communites, improvement of voters’ lists regularly together with military registration and enlistment offices, police organs, communties
and municipalities, provision of citizens with ID cards, and prompt changing of ID cards in case of their invalidity, active participation of
people in elections, creation of conditions for citizens to make their own choice and creation of equal opportunities for candidates. In the
frame of public hearings visits were paid to the temporary detention places of district police departments, during the meeting with the
police staff she stressed the importance of giving attention to protection of citizens’ voting rights, creating opportunity for realization of
freedom of assembly, noted unacceptability of police interference in election process, unethical behavior of police staff and of violence.
She also gave relevant commission to improve further their activity.
During the public hearings and other events the Commissioner also emphasized the importance of active participation of women in
elections.
Click here to read more »
Ombudsman and the representatives of her Office will observe the Parliamentary Elections
The Commissioner for Human Rights and the staff of her Office will observe the Parliamentary elections to be held on November 7,
2010. It should be noted the Commissioner and her staff participated in elections in previous years as independent observers,
delinquencies revealed were solved due to contacts established with the hot –line of Central Election Commission (CEC).
As it is known the Commissioner conducted public hearings in each of 58 districts of the country for monitoring the promotion and the
implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Protection of Human Rights, as well as for raising the awareness of population on
voting right on the eve of the Parliamentary elections in the country. The discussions were held with the participation of the
representatives of district executive powers, and municipalities, Interior affairs agencies, Prosecutor’s Office, courts, constituency
election commisions, as well as of local NGOs, mass-media and communities. The proposals made at the events will be considered
during the work process. During these public hearings the Commissioner visited the local constituency and polling election commissions,
noted the importance of the work to be carried with population by mobilizing the members of these commissions, municipalities and
communites, improvement of voters’ lists regularly together with military registration and enlistment offices, police organs, communties
and municipalities, provision of citizens with ID cards, and prompt changing of ID cards in case of their invalidity, active participation of
people in elections, creation of conditions for citizens to make their own choice and creation of equal opportunities for candidates. In the
frame of public hearings visits were paid to the temporary detention places of district police departments, during the meeting with the
police staff she stressed the importance of giving attention to protection of citizens’ voting rights, creating opportunity for realization of
freedom of assembly, noted unacceptability of police interference in election process, unethical behavior of police staff and of violence.
She also gave relevant commission to improve further their activity.
During the public hearings and other events the Commissioner also emphasized the importance of active participation of women in
elections.
Click here to read more »
Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan cannot be considered free and fair
Monday, 08 November 2010
Mobile election monitoring group in Azerbaijan, consisting of members of the Human Rights House Network, regrets the fact that the
parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan cannot be considered free and fair because of the wide spread irregularities and fraudulent practices.
The right to freedom of expression and assembly were subject to systematic violations in the run-up and during the parliamentary
elections on 7 November. In the pre-election period, the government displayed discriminatory approach towards the realization of the
right to peaceful assembly. Public meetings were widely restricted or selectively permitted and authorized in highly unfavourable areas.
On the eve of the parliamentary elections, there was an increase in the number of illegal interferences by the executive authorities and
law enforcement bodies into seminars and meetings conducted by civil society organizations in the regions.
The deterioration of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, which is characterized by a climate of impunity in relation to harassment of
journalists and numerous defamation cases, also influenced the election campaigns. The absence of free and pluralistic media and vivid
public debate during the election campaign prevented the public from the opportunity to formulate their opinions freely. The mobile
monitoring group, consisting of the Human Rights House Network´s members has gathered credible information how the basic
conditions for equal participation in the pre-election period was effectively undermined by serious problems related with the collection of
signatures, registration of candidates, access to the electorates and unbalanced representation in the election commissions.
Despite the technical improvements to the centralized voter register, the voting process was not free or transparent. There were facts of
falsifications, like multiple voting and ballot stuffing. The Human Rights House Network´s representatives received reliable information
how authorities interfered in the election process in favour of the pro-governmental candidates.
The confidentiality was not entirely ensured. Modification of the results occurred, the final tabulation was not completed in a transparent
manner and the result was not posted at the polling station. One of the serous problems was the pressure on the observers by the
authorities. There were many instances where observers were obstructed from performing their functions. Some observers were
removed from the polling stations; in some instance they were assaulted. In Surakhani district (election districts 30 and 31 ConECs),
police detained eight observers for allegedly protesting against the falsification of the protocol of the above mentioned ConECs.
Among the observer was a journalist from the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety. The election observers were detained for
more than four hours in the courtyard without access to lawyers or legal counselling. Representatives from the Human Rights House
Network were not allowed to communicate with the relevant law enforcement officials to obtain information about the causes of
detention.
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Monday, 08 November 2010
Mobile election monitoring group in Azerbaijan, consisting of members of the Human Rights House Network, regrets the fact that the
parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan cannot be considered free and fair because of the wide spread irregularities and fraudulent practices.
The right to freedom of expression and assembly were subject to systematic violations in the run-up and during the parliamentary
elections on 7 November. In the pre-election period, the government displayed discriminatory approach towards the realization of the
right to peaceful assembly. Public meetings were widely restricted or selectively permitted and authorized in highly unfavourable areas.
On the eve of the parliamentary elections, there was an increase in the number of illegal interferences by the executive authorities and
law enforcement bodies into seminars and meetings conducted by civil society organizations in the regions.
The deterioration of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, which is characterized by a climate of impunity in relation to harassment of
journalists and numerous defamation cases, also influenced the election campaigns. The absence of free and pluralistic media and vivid
public debate during the election campaign prevented the public from the opportunity to formulate their opinions freely. The mobile
monitoring group, consisting of the Human Rights House Network´s members has gathered credible information how the basic
conditions for equal participation in the pre-election period was effectively undermined by serious problems related with the collection of
signatures, registration of candidates, access to the electorates and unbalanced representation in the election commissions.
Despite the technical improvements to the centralized voter register, the voting process was not free or transparent. There were facts of
falsifications, like multiple voting and ballot stuffing. The Human Rights House Network´s representatives received reliable information
how authorities interfered in the election process in favour of the pro-governmental candidates.
The confidentiality was not entirely ensured. Modification of the results occurred, the final tabulation was not completed in a transparent
manner and the result was not posted at the polling station. One of the serous problems was the pressure on the observers by the
authorities. There were many instances where observers were obstructed from performing their functions. Some observers were
removed from the polling stations; in some instance they were assaulted. In Surakhani district (election districts 30 and 31 ConECs),
police detained eight observers for allegedly protesting against the falsification of the protocol of the above mentioned ConECs.
Among the observer was a journalist from the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety. The election observers were detained for
more than four hours in the courtyard without access to lawyers or legal counselling. Representatives from the Human Rights House
Network were not allowed to communicate with the relevant law enforcement officials to obtain information about the causes of
detention.
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Ilham Aliyev
President since 31 October 2003
President since 31 October 2003
Artur Rasizade
Prime Minister since 11 August 2007
Prime Minister since 11 August 2007
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
Current situation: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE
for the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a
transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual
exploitation
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate, prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law
enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a
much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking
victims in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE
for the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a
transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual
exploitation
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate, prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law
enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a
much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking
victims in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)
