Tag Archives: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan jails opposition activist

JUNE 16 2017 (The Bulletin) — A court in Baku sentenced opposition activist Fuad Ahmadli to 16 years in prison for stealing people’s personal data when he worked at mobile phone operator Azerfon.

Ahmadli’s supporters have said that the allegations are fraudulent and part of a government crackdown against dissenters. Ahmadli was a activist for the main opposition group, the Popular Front Party.

European politicians have accused the Azerbaijan government of cracking down on opposition members and journalists. The Azerbaijani government has said that the EU is being naive and that it is rooting out people who are in favour of regime change.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

US investors criticise Azerbaijan’s IBA restructuring

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JUNE 14 2017 (The Bulletin) — The Wall Street Journal quoted US holders of International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) debt as saying that the proposed restructuring deal was unfair and designed to benefit the bank’s Azerbaijani owners. IBA has asked debt holders to write off 20% of their investments in a deal to restructure $3.3b worth of debt. Part of the restructuring process would also mean that the debt is reissued as sovereign bonds.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan

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JUNE 16 2017 (The Bulletin) — Armenia-backed forces accused Azerbaijan of killing three of its soldiers in another spike in violence around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Tension has really been reduced since fighting in April 2016 killed several dozen people. Analysts have said that there is a greater chance of all-out war over the region now than at any time since a UN- imposed ceasefire in 1994.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Azerbaijan starts more military exercises with Turkey

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JUNE 12 2017 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijani and Turkish soldiers started a five-day military exercise in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan region, underlining the two neighbours close ties. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey have just finished military exercises with Georgia. Azerbaijan and Turkey are strong allies in trade as well as in military matters. Gas produced in Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea is pumped to Europe through a pipeline hosted by Turkey.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Azerbaijan jails opposition activist

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JUNE 16 2017 (The Bulletin) — A court in Baku sentenced opposition activist Fuad Ahmadli to 16 years in prison for stealing people’s personal data when he worked at mobile phone operator Azerfon.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan

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ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Azerbaijan jails opposition activist

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JUNE 16 2017 (The Bulletin) — A court in Baku sentenced opposition activist Fuad Ahmadli to 16 years in prison for stealing people’s personal data when he worked at mobile phone operator Azerfon.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 333, published on June 19 2017)

Azerbaijan allies with Costa Rica

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JUNE 6 2017 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan appeared to be grooming Costa Rica as an ally by calling for bilateral ties between the two countries, which lie thousands of miles apart and have no natural connections. Costa Rican media reported that the two countries “chancellors” had met and exchanged pleasantries. Reports said that the Azerbaijan Petroleum Fund was interested in boosting investments in Costa Rica and that Costa Rica was going to open an embassy in Baku.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 332, published on June 12 2017)

Azerbaijan’s energy minister dies

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JUNE 9 2017 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s long-serving energy minister, Natig Aliyev, died in a hospital in Istanbul from a heart attack. Aliyev had the heart attack in Baku at the end of the previous week and was then flown to specialist hospital in Istanbul. He had been energy minister since 2005, although he generally played a less prominent role in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas affairs than President Ilham Aliyev and the head of state- owned SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 332, published on June 12 2017)

Comment: Authority figures and democracy

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EDINBURGH, JUNE 12 2017 (The Bulletin) — This past week, politics in Britain have been overshadowed by the election meltdown and loss of authority of the British PM, Theresa May. She went from having a 20 point lead in opinion polls only two months ago to a single digit lead over Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, on election day. She won, but was returned a much diminished figure.

This is a stark contrast to the strongmen that rule Central Asia, where the democratic touch is so light. That doesn’t mean, though, that there isn’t plenty of political intrigue to enjoy and saviour in the region.

And this week has given us the story of how Shavkat Mirziyoyev has undone one of his key rivals for power, former economy minister Rustam Azimov. Once a potential Second President of Uzbekistan, he now finds himself heading up an entity called the Export-Import Bank. A story of power-plays and, possibly, betrayal.

There has been an apparent growth in grassroots movements in Uzbekistan. Our new correspondent reports from Tashkent on what has been described as the biggest protest in the country for 12 years. It’s great reporting on a very important story.

In Georgia and Azerbaijan the case of the abducted journalist continues to cause the authorities discomfort, as does the reminder that Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge is still an IS recruitment area.

On the business front, we report on China’s first foray into Kazakhstan’s banking sector and on olive oil production in Georgia.