The defendants in the case against former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Photo posted by the Azertac News Agency on January 17, 2025 https://azertag.az/ru/xeber/nachalsya_sud_nad_licami_obvinyaemymi_v_sovershenii_mnogochislennyh_prestuplenii_v_rezultate_voennoi_agressii_armenii-3377931

20 January 2025, 22:15

Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of January 13-19, 2025

Repressions in Azerbaijan, pollution in Anapa, trial against former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, protests in Georgia, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of January 13-19, 2025, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Repressions in Azerbaijan

On January 14, the “Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners” released a report on the situation with human rights in Azerbaijan in 2024. “The past year has been marked by increased repressions and police brutality. The trend of politically motivated arrests has continued. Compared to the previous year, the number of political prisoners has increased by a third and reached 331 by December 10,” reported Elshan Gasanov, the head of the human rights organization.

On January 13, in Baku, a court sentenced Bakhtiyar Gadjiev to ten years of imprisonment, finding him guilty on six criminal counts. Moreover, the court also ordered the confiscation of the Bakhtiyar Gadjiev’s property to pay off a claim on behalf of the state “for damages for economic crimes.” The PACE co-Rapporteur on monitoring Azerbaijan and the PACE General Rapporteur on Political Prisoners called for the release of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev and other persons arrested for criticizing the Azerbaijani government.

On January 14, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes sentenced Afiyaddin Mamedov, the chair of the independent Confederation of Trade Unions “Workers’ Platform,” to eight years of imprisonment. Advocate Zibeida Sadygova claimed that investigators had not proven the Afiyaddin Mamedov’s guilt.

On January 19, Alikram Khurshidov (also known as Khursudov), an activist of the “Musavat” Party, was detained at home in the city of Shirvan. The above was reported by his mother Antiga Khurshidova. According to the woman’s story, the men in masks were talking about her son’s post on the Internet about the events in Imishli.

On January 18, a road traffic accident involving a police car occurred in the city of Imishli. As a result, two children were killed in the accident and three other persons were injured. After the accident, riots began, and angry citizens smashed the police car and clashed with law enforcers.

Asgar Agasoi, an activist of the Ordubad district branch of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was sentenced to 30 days of arrest on the charge of failure to obey the police. Colleagues of the activist believe that he is being persecuted for posting critical entries on social networking services.

The charges under six more articles have been brought against the activists arrested in the “Toplum TV” case: the activists and journalists could face up to 12 years of imprisonment. Journalist Farid Ismayilov, who was under police surveillance in the “Toplum TV” case, has been detained in Baku.

Journalist Ulviya Ali has been questioned in the “Meydan TV” case and is banned from leaving Azerbaijan. The journalist considers the restriction unlawful.

On January 15, the Yasamal District Court of Baku dismissed the motion to transfer Azer Gasymly, the director of the Institute of Political Management, to house arrest.

The Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) has reported about the detention of two of its activists in Baku and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR). On January 15, PFPA activist Asker Agasoi was detained in the Ordubad District of the NAR. On the same day, in Baku, the police detained Ramil Einaliev, a member of the Lankaran district branch of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan.

Pollution in Anapa

On December 15, two tankers crashed in the Kerch Strait because of a storm, resulting in an oil spill. About 50 kilometres of beaches from Anapa to Temryuk are polluted with fuel oil, and volunteers have organized the rescue of birds stained with oil products.

On January 19, during a survey of the coast in Anapa, repeated pollution with oil products was recorded at 24 beach sites, the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar Territory reported on its Telegram channel. The elimination of the consequences of the fuel oil spill is ineffective, and most problems are being solved by volunteers, former sailors and environmentalists note.

By January 18, more than 167,000 tons of sand contaminated with fuel oil had been removed from the beaches.

After a video was posted online showing a conflict between Sergey Uraikin, Deputy Minister of Education of the Krasnodar Territory, and volunteers, unidentified people began to persecute the volunteers who filmed the video.

Trial against former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh

On December 17, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office sent to the Baku Military Court a criminal case against 15 former leaders and residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. The defendants have been charged under more than 20 articles, including illegal border crossing and terrorism.

Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, claimed that the protocols of failed interrogations by Azerbaijani investigators were falsified. The former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh demanded a public trial with the participation of international journalists and activists of humanitarian organizations.

On January 17, the military court of Azerbaijan held the first hearing in the case against the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh arrested in Lachin in 2023. Former President of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Arutyunyan apologized for his statements about the strikes on Ganja.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

In the Volgograd Region, the indictment has been approved in the case against Ruslan Nurushev, advocate Eduard Yapparov reports. Ruslan Nurushev is accused of disseminating information that is not disputed by official bodies: about a missile strike on Kharkov, during which civilians perished, the advocate has emphasized.

The Central District Court of Sochi fined local resident Khatuna Tsaguriya for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The woman posted three videos in a messenger in which she “made a number of statements containing information aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces.”

Protests in Georgia

On the night of January 15, former Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakhariya, the leader of the “Gakhariya-for Georgia” Party, was attacked in Batumi. Medical officers diagnosed him with a brain concussion. The attack involved people who had previously gotten into an altercation with activist Zviad Koridze. Activists from the “Fair Elections” organization believe that members of the ruling “Georgian Dream” Party participated in the attack.

Georgia may be left isolated in connection with the attack on Giorgi Gakhariya, states Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the US Department of State. He has noted that the “Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia” Party ruling in the republic uses repressive methods in the political struggle.

On January 18, at least seven persons were detained during a protest action in Georgia in front of a police station. Protestors held a march in masks, protesting against the ban on wearing masks at rallies.

On January 14, TV Companies and several online publications of Georgia stopped working for some hours in protest against the arrest of Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti” online publications. On January 15, some Georgian enterprises stopped working for three hours, and their employees took to the streets with the demand to hold new parliamentary elections and release all those detained during the protests. In Tbilisi, the protesters were attacked by a group of people, with city mayoralty employees among the attackers.

On January 14, the Batumi City Court held a trial in the case against Guram Murvanidze, a cameraman of the “Batumelebi” publication. A judge sentenced Guram Murvanidze to eight days of arrest.

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

By January 19, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 5682 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 2751 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 2931 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 1204 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 1074, in the Krasnodar Territory – 635, in the Rostov Region – 612, in the Stavropol Territory – 570, in the Astrakhan Region – 433, in North Ossetia – 338, in Chechnya – 224, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 218, in Kalmykia – 108, in Ingushetia – 108, in Karachay-Cherkessia – 89, and in Adygea – 69.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 20, 2025 at 09:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

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