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JAMnews
6 days ago
- Politics
- JAMnews
Peace treaty text sparks mixed reactions in Baku
Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty The peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia has drawn a mixed public reaction. The 17-point document sets out opportunities for cooperation in diplomacy, the economy, culture and humanitarian affairs, while committing both sides to refrain from hostile actions. Once signed, it will require both countries to withdraw all legal claims, complaints and disputes, and to refrain from pursuing them in the future. 'Azerbaijan has made a major concession' Ilgar Mammadov | photo: Ilgar Mammadov, a politician and former chair of the Republican Alternative party, believes the draft agreement does not clearly explain why it exists or what its purpose is. He argues that while Armenia has formally renounced territorial claims, there is no guarantee other states will not support such claims in the future. Mammadov says the agreement should have made it explicit that Armenia's territorial claims led to war and deportations – otherwise, Azerbaijan is making a major concession. 'Yerevan has only formally stepped back. In the past, we could at least respond to Armenian claims with our own claim to Western Zangezur. After the agreement, if they find another patron and act on it, what argument of justice will we have in response? I'm not talking about 'rights' – those don't seem to exist – I'm talking about justice. The draft should have at least acknowledged in some way that Armenia's territorial claims opened the door to war and deportations. Otherwise, Armenia is now, as if nothing happened, negotiating with us about the future. By agreeing to this, Azerbaijan has made a huge concession. Will anyone recognise it? They should.' He also says the document is too general and puts too much faith in the good faith of future actions. 'Looking at the text, I'm not convinced peace will last – but let them sign it, and we will all try to make sure there is no more war. An agreement alone cannot guarantee that.' 'We also had to make some concessions' Elkhan Shahinoglu | photo: Political analyst Elkhan Shahinoglu takes a more pragmatic view of the document. He says that including several of Azerbaijan's demands in the Washington agreement is an important achievement. These include abolishing the Minsk Group, opening the Zangezur corridor and suspending Amendment 907. Shahinoglu says that dropping the demand for compensation for Armenia's 30-year aggression has been met with mixed reactions, but mutual concessions were inevitable. 'Obviously, in exchange for what we achieved, we also had to make some concessions. If Armenia hesitates to implement the points set out in the peace agreement, we can return to our demand for compensation. In any case, there needs to be healthy debate around this issue.' 'Hard to say what the mood in the region will be in 15–20 days' Rauf Mirgadirov | photo: Meydan TV Political analyst Rauf Mirkadirov told Meydan TV that the process of bringing the peace treaty into legal force remains uncertain. 'For the signed agreement to be ratified in Armenia, a referendum must be held and constitutional changes made. In Armenia, the referendum is expected in 2027. It is very hard to predict what the political situation in Armenia will be in two years' time – or even what the mood in the region will be in three months or in 15–20 days. The 15 August meeting between Trump and Putin should also be taken into account.' Mirkadirov said that after the 44-day war in 2020, the statement signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of Russian president Vladimir Putin included a provision on the 'Zangezur corridor,' which was meant to be under Russian control. 'Today, that document is nothing more than a useless scrap of paper that no one recalls,' he said. 'Now, with Trump's participation, they have signed a declaration. They called it the 'Trump Path'. You see how quickly things can change.' Still, he believes the declaration signed in the US can be seen as the basis for a peace agreement. 'This transport corridor is of great importance not only for Azerbaijan, but also for the wider region – for Turkiye, Central Asia, China and the European Union.' While the published text of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia sets out an important legal framework for lasting peace, discussion has shown it has drawn mixed reactions among the public and experts alike. Although the deal is seen as a key step towards preventing another war, its durability will ultimately depend on future political will and mutual trust. Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty
JAMnews
11-08-2025
- Politics
- JAMnews
‘Ilham Aliyev, how about making peace with your own citizens?' – journalist writes from prison
Fatima Movlamli's letter from prison Azerbaijani journalist Fatima Movlamli, detained as part of the Meydan TV case, wrote from prison about her reflections on the recent 'historical peace meeting' in Washington. Last December, the Khatai District Court in Baku ordered four-month pre-trial detention for several Meydan TV staff, including editor-in-chief Aynur Elgunesh (Ganbarova), Aytaj Ahmadova (Tapdyg), Khayala Aghayeva, Aysel Umudova, Natiq Javadli, freelance reporter Ramin Deko (Jabrayilzadeh) and civil society activist Ulvi Tahirov. They are charged under article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group with prior agreement). This case has become known as the Meydan TV case. This year, journalists Shamshad Aghayev, Nurlan Gahramanli (Libre), Fatima Movlamli and Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva) were also arrested on the same charge as part of the same case. Here is the full text of Fatima Movlamli's letter from prison. Journalist Fatima Movlamli | photo: Let me say from the outset that any step towards peace makes me happy. The war, used for years as a tool of pressure against both peoples, should have ended long ago – and those who said so should never have been branded 'traitors to the homeland'. On 8 August, I followed closely the ceremony attended by all three presidents, and especially the press conference. Beyond the event's content, I was curious about something else: who would speak there on behalf of the Azerbaijani media, and what question would they ask? As a journalist from a country where independent reporters are jailed on trumped-up charges, I wondered what would be at the heart of a question from someone who had the means to attend. Soon the reporter from the Report news agency took the floor – but their 'question' simply wasn't there. It seemed that, unlike other times, they hadn't been sent a pre-written text from the administration to recite and circulate, as pro-government outlets usually do. After the journalist spoke, my cellmate asked: 'What is he even talking about?' I replied: 'We're not alone – even Trump didn't understand what he said.' The most telling moment came when Ilham Aliyev intervened. Like a parent speaking for a stammering child, he took over and tried to 'translate' his aide's 'question'. But there was no question in the first place. So the best he could manage was: 'He's saying, will you visit us?' It was like falling into a pit you've dug yourself. When you jail independent journalists who speak with weight and authority, and instead hand the stage to those who need permission for every word, who angle for free apartments, titles and praise from the government – what else can you expect? Of course that journalist would stumble. And of course it had to happen at that very meeting. (I enjoy life's little ironies like that.) Did you notice how one journalist asked whether one side might back down – and got an answer from all three leaders? The curiosity and tension that question created laid bare the difference between an independent journalist and a subservient scribe. As for me, I sadly couldn't be there. First, because the road from Kurdakhani to Washington is rather long – and besides, I don't have a visa. But I can still ask my question from here: So, what about making peace with your own citizens? You and those around you plunder the nation's wealth, your police beat people, your investigators work to order, and citizens live in fear of a baton crashing down on their heads. Journalists who expose these truths are jailed as 'smugglers'. So, Aliyev – will there be peace, real peace? Fatima Movlamli Baku Pretrial Detention Centre News in Azerbaijan
OC Media
25-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Police violently evict residents of Baku neighbourhood ahead of plans to demolish 120 houses
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Azerbaijani police have reportedly violently dispersed protests by residents of Montin-Keshla, a town in the Narimanov district of Baku, who have been protesting the demolition of 120 houses in their community. Independent news outlet Meydan TV reported that the residents claim that there were no documents confirming the authorities' right to demolish the houses. 'Here, 145 families live, and more than 120 houses are located in this area', a Montin-Keshla resident told OC Media on the condition of anonymity. 'No one from the authorities talked to us about this and we don't know what will happen with the residents. We are being forced to leave the area and now we are moving', they continued, adding that many of the houses being demolished had been there since 2005. 'On Thursday, in front of my eyes, around five people were detained. People were forcibly kicked out of their houses, that is why they confronted police', the resident said. The demolition of the houses is part of the Baku City Plan, a project where Baku will construct again and the old buildings in the many streets will be demolished. As the plan has unfolded, pro-government media has downplayed how it is impacting local residents. Pro-government TV Khazar has quoted as a representative of Azerbaijan Railways as saying that the main reason the houses were being demolished in the area is to remove obstacles around railways forcing trains to go slower when passing through the town. Advertisement The demolition of these houses has been in the pipeline since 2015, with local media reporting that there were 2,840 illegal buildings in the area — of these, 2,304 are residential buildings. At the time, the Transportation Ministry indicated that 883 buildings should be demolished immediately. Several similar incidents have taken place in Baku before; in March, the construction company Melissa Group demolished a house in Baku's Yasamal district while a resident was still inside. After the footage of the incident spread on social media, the foreman and driver of the excavator carrying out the demolition work were detained, in addition to the head ofthe construction company. In February, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) fined the Azerbaijani government approximately €1.7 million ($1.8 million) for illegally demolishing a number of properties in central Baku in 2010 in order to create a new park.
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Police in Azerbaijan detain another journalist as pressure on independent media increases
Police in Azerbaijan detain another journalist as pressure on independent media increases Police in Azerbaijan on Wednesday detained a journalist, Ulviyya Ali, local media reported, amid an ongoing criminal case against six of her colleagues at the independent Meydan TV outlet. Azerbaijani media said Ali had been placed in pre-trial detention for one month and 29 days on suspicion of smuggling. She was reported to deny any wrongdoing. Several other journalists have been charged with smuggling in recent months, an accusation they reject as politically-motivated and say is designed to silence critical voices. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has rejected Western criticism of the arrests, saying comments by Western diplomats and rights groups calling for the release of activists and journalists amount to interference in its judicial system. It says the arrests are not politically-motivated. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders says there are 24 journalists and media workers currently detained in Azerbaijan. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Police in Azerbaijan detain another journalist as pressure on independent media increases
May 7 (Reuters) - Police in Azerbaijan on Wednesday detained a journalist, Ulviyya Ali, local media reported, amid an ongoing criminal case against six of her colleagues at the independent Meydan TV outlet. Azerbaijani media said Ali had been placed in pre-trial detention for one month and 29 days on suspicion of smuggling. She was reported to deny any wrongdoing. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. Several other journalists have been charged with smuggling in recent months, an accusation they reject as politically-motivated and say is designed to silence critical voices. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has rejected Western criticism of the arrests, saying comments by Western diplomats and rights groups calling for the release of activists and journalists amount to interference in its judicial system. It says the arrests are not politically-motivated. Media rights group Reporters Without Borders says there are 24 journalists and media workers currently detained in Azerbaijan.
