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South Caucasus News

Meeting of Azerbaijan-Armenia border commissions ends


The next meeting of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border commissions has kicked off, Report informs.

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South Caucasus News

CEC announces number of international journalists registered to cover snap presidential elections


More than 80 international journalists from 34 media outlets have registered to cover the snap presidential elections to be held on February 7. They represent 34 media organizations, the Chairman of the Central Election Center (CEC), Mazahir Panahov, told

Categories
South Caucasus News

Introduction to new Arbitration Law in Azerbaijan [PHOTOS] – AzerNews.Az


Introduction to new Arbitration Law in Azerbaijan [PHOTOS]  AzerNews.Az

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South Caucasus News

Azerbaijani MFA firmly replies to Czechia Chamber of Deputies President – Trend News Agency


Azerbaijani MFA firmly replies to Czechia Chamber of Deputies President  Trend News Agency

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South Caucasus News

Azerbaijan liquidates state insurance company, following presidential decree – Trend News Agency


Azerbaijan liquidates state insurance company, following presidential decree  Trend News Agency

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South Caucasus News

Azərbaycan Ordusunun bölmələri ilə yeni tədris dövrünün məşğələləri keçirilir – VİDEO


Azərbaycan Ordusunun bölmələri ilə yeni tədris dövrünün məşğələləri keçirilir – VİDEO

Azərbaycan Respublikasının Prezidenti, Silahlı Qüvvələrin Ali Baş Komandanı cənab İlham Əliyevin qarşıya qoyduğu tələblərə, müdafiə nazirinin əmr və sərəncamlarına əsasən qoşunların döyüş hazırlığının yüksək səviyyədə saxlanılması məqsədilə Azərbaycan Ordusunda təlim-tədris prosesi davam etdirilir.
Yeni tədris dövrünün başlanması ilə əlaqədar hərbi hissələrdə döyüşə hazırolma üzrə tədbirlər həyata keçirilir.
Tədbirlər zamanı bölmələrin həyəcan siqnalı ilə qaldırılaraq döyüşə hazır vəziyyətə gətirilməsi üzrə tapşırıqlar məşq etdirilir.
Qeyd edək ki, 2024-cü ilin hazırlıq planına əsasən, bölmələrin daimi dislokasiya məntəqələrini tərk edərək təlim mərkəzlərinə və ümumqoşun poliqonlarına hərəkəti də nəzərdə tutulub.

Azərbaycan Ordusunun bölmələri ilə yeni tədris dövrünün məşğələləri keçirilir – VİDEO


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South Caucasus News

Hajizada replies to Czech speaker: Would be more appropriate to ask when Armenia is going to eliminate territorial claims to her neighbors


Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizada, responded to the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, Marketa Pekarova Adamova, on X, Report informs.


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South Caucasus News

Armenia grants asylum to queer Chechen


An Armenian court has granted asylum to a queer Chechen man, blocking his extradition to Russia. 

On Monday, Yerevan’s Administrative Court ruled in favour of granting 41-year-old Salman Mukayev, a Chechen native residing in Armenia, asylum. 

The court overruled the Migration Service’s decision to reject Mukayev’s 2021 asylum application on the grounds that his life would not be in danger in Russia outside of Chechnya.

Mukayev was reportedly detained by the Russian authorities in Chechnya on suspicion of being gay in 2020. NC SOS Crisis Group, a queer rights organisation operating in the North Caucasus, stated that Mukayev was tortured by the security forces who attempted to obtain a confession that he had had a sexual relationship with a male friend. 

[Read more: Chechen faces extradition to Russia from Armenia]

He fled to Armenia after being blackmailed by the Russian authorities in Chechnya and was charged with the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of weapons and ammunition two weeks later.

In its ruling on Monday, the Court stated that despite not facing charges pertaining to his sexuality, Mukayev’s being queer posed a threat to his life in Russia.

It added that it based its decision on ‘objective, up-to-date, and reliable information’ and that ‘it can be reasonably assumed that LGBT people may face imprisonment and ill-treatment because of their sexual orientation’.

They cited reports of discrimination against queer people in Russia as well as the country’s designation of the ‘international LGBT movement’ as an extremist organisation.

‘From the current, objective and reliable data on the situation of the representatives of the LGBT community in the Russian Federation and the North Caucasus (including Chechnya), it can be concluded that the threat to their freedom and personal integrity is not limited to the territory of Chechnya’, read the court’s verdict.

The court’s decision to grant Mukayev asylum will come into force in one month if the Migration Service does not appeal it.

‘I don’t know what would have happened if the opposite decision was made; I am very happy’, Mukayev told RFE/RL on Tuesday.

Systemic purges

NC SOS Crisis Group stated that after Mukayev was detained in Chechnya, the authorities released him on the condition that he helped identify other queer men in Chechnya.

Chechen security forces reportedly instructed Mukayev to contact men online and to invite them to a flat monitored by them.

Mukayev refused to comply and fled to Armenia instead, after which he was charged and placed on a federal wanted list.

In September 2021, Novaya Gazeta reported that Mukayev was barred from leaving Armenia for Europe by border place because he was wanted in Russia.

Activists in Armenia feared that Mukayev’s extradition to Russia would lead to his death.

Queer people face persecution in the North Caucasus and especially in Chechnya, where they are systematically abducted, tortured, abused, blackmailed, and killed.

In 2017, reports emerged of anti-gay purges organised by the Russian authorities in Chechnya, resulting in the detention of more than 100 people and the death of several others.

Those believed by activists to have been killed by the authorities included well-known Chechen singer Zelim Bakayev.

Chechens believed to be queer have not found safety in other regions of Russia.

In 2021, two siblings fleeing Chechnya, Ismail Isayev and Salekh Magomadov, were abducted by local police from a safe house in Central Russia and transferred back to Chechnya, where they were charged with transferring food to an illegal armed group.

In 2022, Ismail was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Salekh was sentenced to six.

The post Armenia grants asylum to queer Chechen appeared first on OC Media.


Categories
South Caucasus News

With bonfires and hope, Iran’s minority Zoroastrians celebrate Sadeh and the end of cold winter days – The Associated Press


With bonfires and hope, Iran’s minority Zoroastrians celebrate Sadeh and the end of cold winter days  The Associated Press

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South Caucasus News

The News in Brief – Messenger.ge


The News in Brief  Messenger.ge