Baxtiyar İmanov

Siyasi

[Kenneth Roth @KenRoth]

While this week we focus on Armenia's election, remember that Azerbaijan, next door, is a dictatorship where the Aliyev dynasty doesn't allow meaningful elections. Rather than just seeking oil and gas, European governments should press for democracy. https://t.co/22Lu54O4iZ

[Freedom House @freedomhouse]

As Azerbaijan marks Republic Day, Freedom House remains deeply concerned by the continued imprisonment of hundreds of political prisoners in the country, including opposition leader Ali Karimli, and journalists Farid Mehralizada of @RFERL and Ulviyya Ali of @VOANews.

Freedom House calls for the release of those detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms. #FreeThemAll

[Senator Dick Durbin @SenatorDurbin]

I am on the Senate floor to speak out against the imprisonment of people pursing freedom and democracy in Azerbaijan, China, Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, and the UAE. https://t.co/DkSB0jWdnB

[Freedom House @freedomhouse]

With a score of 7/100 in our latest Freedom in the World Report, #Azerbaijan is classified as “Not Free.” Space for free expression is all but closed and scores of people have been jailed on dubious charges, including opposition leaders like Ali Karimli, Mammad Ibrahim, Tofiq Yagublu, Azer Gasimli, and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev as well as civil society leaders and independent journalists including Anar Mammadli, Bahruz Hasanov, Ulvi Hasanli, and Sevinc Vagifgizi. We urge @VP Vance to call for their immediate release and push for respect for political pluralism and fundamental rights. https://t.co/DDTv0czwVK

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

@JDVance
#freeALİKARİMLİ

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

Chronicle of the Persecution of Ali Karimli

Sixth Article

By Jamil Hasanli, Chairman of the National Council

When the protests staged by activists of the New Azerbaijan Party (Azerbaijan’s ruling party) and “volunteers” of the Ministry of National Security / State Security Service in front of Ali Karimli’s home failed to produce results, the form and methods of persecution and smear campaigns against him changed in 2017. At that time, a series of articles was published on Haqqin website run by Eynulla Fatullayev, who is known for his closeness to the authorities.
These articles claimed that several Western foundations were allegedly planning a “color revolution” in Azerbaijan under the leadership of Ali Karimli. According to the claims, U.S. and European foundations supposedly transferred money to Georgia to finance this “color revolution,” after which public and political figures allegedly close to Ali Karimli would travel to Tbilisi, withdraw the money in cash, and bring it to him.

On May 30, 2017, the Haqqin website reported that Gozal Bayramli, Deputy Chair of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, had been detained at the “Broken Bridge” border crossing and that USD 12,000 had allegedly been “discovered” on her, which she was supposedly trying to smuggle into Azerbaijan.
The site wrote that starting from 2015, Gozal Bayramli had traveled to Tbilisi more than 40 times. In reality, however, Ms. Bayramli had been traveling to Tbilisi for medical treatment, which was more affordable there, due to health problems she had developed.

Guided by Haqqin’s “narrative,” Ali Karimli was at that time summoned for questioning in connection with the fabricated criminal case opened against Gozal Bayramli. The “operation” was designed to suggest that Gozal Bayramli was allegedly bringing money allocated by “Western foundations” to Ali Karimli through smuggling. In connection with this absurd allegation, Ali Karimli was interrogated at the Serious Crimes Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. During the days when this so-called “investigation” was ongoing, independent journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was also kidnapped from Georgia and brought to Azerbaijan.
They showed remarkable “generosity” by planting EUR 10,000 in his pocket. A fabricated charge was brought against Afgan Mukhtarli, alleging that he had been smuggling EUR 10,000 into the country and that the money was intended to be delivered to Ali Karimli to finance a “color revolution” allegedly ordered by the West.

However, this time too, due to the operatives’ “gross mistake,” the Ministry of National Security’s scenario about “Western foundations organizing a color revolution under Ali Karimli’s leadership” was exposed, and the “operation” was halted halfway. After Afgan Mukhtarli’s arrest, it became clear that, contrary to how Azerbaijan’s Border Service had “documented” the case, Afgan Mukhtarli (with EUR 10,000 in undeclared cash in his pocket) had not been arrested while entering Azerbaijan on his own. Instead, Azerbaijani and Georgian security services had jointly kidnapped him from Tbilisi and brought him to Azerbaijan.
The international reaction to Afgan Mukhtarli’s abduction was extremely harsh. The European Parliament even adopted a special resolution on the matter. The authorities were forced to leave unfinished their accusation that Ali Karimli was preparing a “color revolution” with money from “Western foundations.”

As a result of this fabricated case, Gozal Bayramli was sentenced to three years in prison, and Afgan Mukhtarli to six years. This imprisonment effectively cost Gozal Bayramli her life. When she was released after two years in prison, the cancer she had contracted while incarcerated had already progressed significantly...

(To be continued)

[Recep Karagöz @recepkaragoz67]

Ali Kerimli’nin tutuklanması, Azerbaycan’da uzun süredir inşa edilen otoriter düzenin açık bir ilanıdır.
Aliyev ailesinin kurduğu rejim, muhalefeti bastırarak istikrar değil; korku üretmektedir.

Muhalefetin kriminalize edilmesi, hukukun araçsallaştırılması ve cezasızlık kültürü üzerine bir değerlendirme yazdım: 👇👇👇
@IlkinUmudlu @saadetcahangir @AXCP009 @_AXCP_ @GenclerKomitesi @AXCP

https://t.co/5516VCPu6Q

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

Daha bir BORALTAN istəmirik
#freeGultekinHajibeyli

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

Injustice against one is a threat to all. Free Ali Kerimli. @BBCWorld @amnesty #freeAliKarimli

[Сharter97.org @charter_97]

«Разрыв с Россией не входит в интересы Алиева»

Напряженность между Азербайджаном и Россией вышла на новый уровень. 27 июня в Екатеринбурге прошли массовые задер��ания азербайджанцев, в результате беспредела силовиков погибли два брата – Зияддин и Гусейн Сафаровы. После этого между Россией и Азербайджаном происходит беспрецедентное обострение отношений.

Почему Ильхам Алиев ответил только сейчас? Об этом сайт «Хартия-97» поговорил с одним из лидеров азербайджанской оппозиции, главой партии Народного Фронта Азербайджана Али Керимли:

https://t.co/aoD0UIHxbK

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

@charter_97 Да, разрыв с Россией не входит в интересы Алиева

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

@MOSSADil 3-cü dünya müharibəsinin süni intelektlə olacağını göstərdi.

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

It is a pinnacle of irony and extremely hypocritical for Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev regime and its paid trolls to lecture us on patriotism after seeing opposition PFPA activists raising EU flag at our Republic day event.

Especially when that very regime and its paid trolls raised the Russian flag over their own heads whenever it served their authoritarian interests and personal rule.

We all remember how, just two days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Ilham Aliyev rushed to Moscow to sign a so-called “alliance” declaration with the Kremlin.

That declaration even granted Russia a pretext and the authority to deploy troops to Azerbaijan under certain conditions.

And everyone now understands that had Ukraine’s heroic army not inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces, the Russian “peacekeepers” brought into Azerbaijan by Ilham Aliyev would still be here for a long time.

That’s why it struck such a nerve with the regime when, during our Republic Day celebration, PFPA activists raised the European Union flag alongside the national and party flags. These are the same people who just recently organized a pro-Russian march in central Baku, waving Russian flags to please Putin.

Now they’re mobilizing their media servants, appointing MPs to speak on cue, unleashing troll armies online—framing the desire to integrate with the European Union as if it were treason.

And these are the same people who once lowered the Turkish flag from the Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial and sought refuge in Russia the moment things got difficult. Today, they wear the thick mask of false patriotism. But they forget: no mask can hide their true face from the people.

You cannot be a patriot if you rob the soldier, the veteran, the disabled, the elderly, the child—if you steal the nation’s wealth. Don’t even try. You look ridiculous.

The European Union we wish to integrate with does not strip any country of its independence or sovereignty. On the contrary—it guarantees the protection of sovereignty not only for its members but even for candidate states. If that were not the case, would our brotherly nation Turkey have sought EU membership for decades?

We all clearly see how strongly the EU supports Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

When has the EU ever undermined the sovereignty of any of its members? Take Estonia, for example—a nation of just 1.5 million people, a recent EU member. Is it any less independent than Azerbaijan? Why should the quality of life, the rule of law, and prosperity that exist in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania—nations that were Soviet republics just 35 years ago—remain so unattainable for us?
Are we supposed to abandon our demands for democracy, justice, and liberty just because they pose a threat to the corrupt and authoritarian system that made you wealthy?

Yes, we want to bring to our country the democratic governance found in Europe—where governments serve the people—along with progressive education, healthcare, social protection systems, an independent judiciary, and real political and economic competition. We are confident that European integration fully aligns with the interests of our people.

The vast majority of our people think like we do. That’s why you fear them. You’ve closed the squares so the people can’t gather, silenced the press so the people can’t speak, imprisoned over 360 political and civic activists so the people live in fear, and destroyed the election system so they can’t vote you out.

The hit pieces you publish in your controlled, dependent media change nothing. If you are truly confident in your support and legitimacy—open the squares. Let the people speak in the streets. Let’s see who they trust more: you, who signed an alliance with Russia and dragged Azerbaijan into the club of authoritarian regimes while feeding off the nation’s wealth—or us, who want to lead this nation toward European integration, development, democracy, and prosperity?

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

Today is a great day of celebration in Azerbaijan.

It is the 107th anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijani state. But today is not only a national holiday—it is also a Republic Day in our Azerbaijan.

This is because, 107 years ago, Azerbaijan’s founding fathers didn’t just declare the country’s independence—they also established it as a democratic republic. In 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic became one of only 25 states in the world at the time recognized as democratic.

A multiparty parliamentary system was created, national minorities were granted representation in parliament, press freedom was established, and women were granted the right to vote—well ahead of many Western nations.

Unfortunately, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic lasted only two years before being occupied by Bolshevik Russia. Yet its legacy remains one of the most cherished chapters of our national history.

Today, members of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) gathered in Novxanı—about 30 kilometers from Baku—at the monument to Mammad Amin Rasulzade to mark this holiday.

Rasulzade, Chairman of the National Council that founded the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, was the leader of the founding generation and is regarded as one of the principal architects of our state. Today’s undemocratic regime in Azerbaijan views the legacy of the Democratic Republic—and Rasulzade himself—with hatred and envy. They see republican values as a threat to their dynastic rule.

Despite being the founder of our state, Rasulzade has no monument in the capital, Baku. In contrast, Heydar Aliyev—the founder of the current authoritarian regime—has hundreds of statues across the country.

The only monument to Rasulzade stands in his birthplace of Novxanı, erected in 1992 when the PFPA was in power. That is why, every year on May 28, democratic forces in the country choose to celebrate Independence and Republic Day in Novxanı, in front of Rasulzade’s sole statue.

Repression in Azerbaijan is currently at its peak. There are now more than 360 political prisoners in the country.

All forms of peaceful assembly have been completely banned for the past six years.

The regime tolerates gatherings at the Rasulzade monument only on the condition that the opposition does not issue public calls for people to attend. Were we to openly mobilize supporters, even these commemorations in Novxanı would be banned.

Nevertheless, without any public call from me or the PFPA leadership, thousands of our members gathered today to demonstrate their commitment to republican values and democracy.

Addressing the PFPA activists during this event, I reaffirmed that despite the harsh repression facing the Azerbaijani opposition, we remain resolute in our fight for freedom and democratic change.

I expressed my firm belief that, in the end, freedom and democracy will prevail in our country.

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

Azerbaijan in 2025 is the repeat of Soviet Union of 1937.

Lately, I have come across social media posts where a number of opposition activists have been taking photos with my bodyguard, Novruz Taghiyev, jokingly saying, “Sir, it’s your turn to be arrested.” Honestly, I had a feeling Novruz would be arrested too. I even advised him not to accompany me to public events anymore. He was a bit hurt, saying he was no more or less deserving of arrest than the others who had already been detained.

Unfortunately, our fears came true. Just two days ago, Novruz Taghiyev was also arrested under fabricated criminal charges.

In my view, to date, this stands as one of the most striking indictments of the Aliyev regime, the judiciary in this country, and the politically motivated nature of these arrests. No matter how many fake protocols they produce or how many dishonorable informants they find, if public and political figures – and even outside observers – can predict with great accuracy who will be arrested next, just like during the purges of 1937, then it’s clear: there is no real investigation or justice system in this country. There is only a coercive apparatus carrying out political orders.

And now, after carrying out this blatant and shameless campaign of repression, the Aliyev regime has mobilized thousands of trolls on social media to spread the message that “there are no political prisoners in Azerbaijan.”

I am addressing the Aliyev regime directly here: who exactly are you trying to fool? The people of Azerbaijan, who can now predict with precision who will be arrested next and when? You’ve managed to deceive people before, but not anymore.

Do you think you can fool the international community? Didn't Ilham Aliyev himself admit that leaders of international media portray Azerbaijan as a dictatorship?

Are you not aware that the European Parliament, the U.S. Congress, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the EU’s External Action Service, and the U.S. State Department have all repeatedly called on the Azerbaijani government to end the repression and release political prisoners?

Burying your head in the sand like an ostrich won’t fool anyone. The people of Azerbaijan and the international community know exactly who you are. Your corruption, your repression, your election fraud – there’s no one left who hasn’t seen it. And you know this, too. You also know that your time is running out. That’s why you’re resorting to such open, rushed, and sloppy repression – to try to stop the inevitable change that this country is due for.

But history has shown us, time and again, that such efforts are in vain. When the time for change has arrived, no force—no repression or violence—can hold it back.

Azerbaijan – and the South Caucasus as a whole – will be free.

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

The regime is oppressing our people not only through physical violence and unlawful arrests. The regime’s hypocrisy is another form of oppression. At a time when slanders, illegal detentions, and unlawful prison sentences have reached their peak, the government has shamelessly declared a “Human Rights Month” in the country from May 18 to June 18.

It turns out that the prosecutor demanded prison sentences of 11–12 years for the journalists of Abzas Media, whose only "crime" was exposing the regime’s corruption, precisely within the framework of this so-called "Human Rights Month."

Likewise, the Court of Appeals, also acting within the “Human Rights Month,” turned a blind eye to Tofiq Yaqublu’s rock-solid evidence and upheld the illegal 9-year prison sentence against him.

It also appears that the researcher of Talysh history, Iqbal Abilov, was given a record-high sentence (18 years in prison) during this “Human Rights Month.”

Even before “Human Rights Month” began—in just the past two months—the regime had arrested six members of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) who were assisting me voluntarily as security or drivers at various events. But just yesterday, in "honor" of the “Human Rights Month,” another volunteer security aide of mine, Novruz Taghiyev, and Rashad Aliyev, who had driven me to several events in his own car, were also abducted. Most likely, they will be slandered and arrested as well. This brings the number of APFP activists close to me who have been slandered and arrested in the last two months to eight. And "Human Rights Month" has only been going on for three days...

The Aliyev regime is dragging Azerbaijan into a dead-end, a dictatorship, a social catastrophe, and international isolation. Only refusing to surrender—and on the contrary, joining the struggle en masse—can save our people from a more terrible future. Everyone must raise their voice for the release of all political prisoners in the country, especially Tofiq Yaqublu.

[Ali Karimli @AliKarimli]

Aliyev Regime Finally Reveals The Real Reason For Tofig Yagublu's Unjust Imprisonment.

The Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly), MP Zahid Oruc, has publicly revealed the real reasons behind the imprisonment of Tofiq Yaqublu. Zahid Oruc has admitted that Yaqublu’s repeated arrests were due to his political activity—specifically, his persistent "slander and defamation against the government." This admission must be taken seriously by the courts.

Zahid Oruc holds a significant position within the current power hierarchy. In addition to chairing the Human Rights Committee, he occupies two other key roles.

President Ilham Aliyev appointed him as head of the Center for Social Research, where he functions as a chief propagandist during non-election periods.

When presidential elections are announced, Zahid Oruc is registered as a presidential candidate, effectively acting as a symbolic opponent to Ilham Aliyev while continuing to promote his agenda.

It is important to emphasize that Zahid Oruc is someone deeply familiar with the inner workings of the regime and often serves as a conduit for communicating and rationalizing government decisions to the public.

For this reason, his statement must be treated as newly revealed evidence in the politically motivated criminal case against Tofiq Yaqublu. Zahid Oruc has effectively become a witness to the fabricated nature of the charges brought against Yaqublu.

When the Court of Appeals hears Tofiq Yaqublu’s case on May 20, it must take this newly surfaced evidence into account and reopen the trial. MP Zahid Oruc should be summoned to testify as a witness.

If he confirms his statement to https://t.co/U75FNcMmbK —that “Tofiq Yaqublu would, raise baseless slander and accusations against the government -on any platform and over the slightest issue - and thus secure a place in international human rights reports. For this reason, he was detained and imprisoned multiple times”—then the court must acquit Yaqublu of the current charges.

This is because Tofiq Yaqublu is currently serving a 9-year prison sentence for alleged fraud and document forgery.

Yet the government, through Zahid Oruc’s own words, has admitted that Yaqublu was not jailed for fraud but for criticizing the government and raising allegations of misconduct.

We are witnessing one of the most striking exposures of the Azerbaijani judicial system.

If, even after such a blatant admission, the Court of Appeals chooses to uphold the sham claim that Tofiq Yaqublu is in prison for “fraudulently earning money,” it will amount to a death sentence for the credibility of the country's judiciary.

My message to the Aliyev regime: do not expose yourselves further. Do not inflict more pain on the public. Release Tofiq Yaqublu—illegally arrested, falsely accused, and now in severely deteriorated health after a 40-day hunger strike. Free him now.

[Baxtiyar İmanov @Bextiyarr]

@SbNyEl @FergusAuldFCDO @A_X_C_P @AliKarimli Права человека — это универсальная ценность. Этот режим — это не страна, я жалуюсь на режим, а не на свою родину. И, в отличие от тебя, не унижаюсь, занимаясь троллингом за деньги.