Azerbaijan - August 2023

Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo published a report arguing the ongoing Azerbaijani blockade of the disputed majority Armenian territory of Nagorno-Karabakh should be considered genocide on 7 August. On 15 August, the Nagorno Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s Office said a man had starved to death, marking the first death as a result of the months-long blockade which has prevented food, medicine, fuel, and electricity from reaching the region. A UN Security council meeting on the crisis on 16 August failed to result in a statement, as Azerbaijan’s close ally and non-permanent member Turkiye disputed Armenia’s claims and defended Azerbaijan’s justification to blockade the region.

Sources: Associated Press, OC Media, Eurasianet, United Nations

Azerbaijani authorities have cracked down on a new generation of labour unionists who had been organising and campaigning for the right of food delivery gig workers, in what critics suggest is an attempt to maintain centralized political and economic power in the hands of the ruling elite. In August, three high-profile activists were arrested and another announced his withdrawal from union activity on Instagram, citing police pressure. The charges range from disobeying police orders to large-scale drug trafficking, and all organizers say the charges are fabricated and politically motivated. The authorities’ main target is the umbrella labour organization Workers’ Table, which represents 2,500 food delivery workers. On 14 August the Food Safety Agency also revoked the license of Wolt, a major player in the food delivery industry, on spurious grounds, raising speculation that a government-connected food delivery company would soon be launched.

Sources: Eurasianet, Voice of America, JAM News

Six former journalists at Azadliq Radiosu, the Azerbaijani service of the United States-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) have alleged they were fired or forced out of the broadcaster and accused management of self-dealing and financial mismanagement. The journalists have been widely supported by independent Azerbaijan media figures and civil society, who support their claim that Azadliq Radiosu has simultaneously shifted to government-friendly content and abandoned the investigations into powerful figures on which it built its reputation in the country. RFE/RL has declined to comment on media reports, only citing an unpublished internal report which it says found its coverage to be “accurate, independent and responsible.” 

Sources: openDemocracy, OC Media