The MEDays forum, held in Tangier under the patronage of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, concluded with participation from over 6,000 representatives across more than 100 countries, Azernews reports.
Month: November 2024
https://t.co/FqZwdWX5dHhttps://t.co/IAopsKga4V#NewsAndTimes #NT #TNT #News #Times #World #USA #POTUS #DOJ #FBI #CIA #DIA #ODNI #Trump #TrumpNews #TRUMPISTAN #Israel #Mossad #Netanyahu #Ukraine #NewAbwehr #OSINT #Putin #Russia #GRU #Путин #Россия #SouthCaucasus #Bloggers
-… https://t.co/q9BVLpp0P1 pic.twitter.com/dRRQa33M5c— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) November 30, 2024
This week saw journalists from “AbzasMedia” exposing poor conditions and violations at Baku Detention Facility, while Alasgar Mammadli requested house arrest due to health issues, and the date for Azerbaijan’s municipal elections was announced for January 29, 2025.
Conditions and Violations at the Baku Detention Facility Revealed in Open Letter by Journalists
Three journalists from “AbzasMedia” – Sevinc Vaqifqızı, Nargiz Absalamova, and Elnara Qasımova – currently detained in Baku Detention Facility No. 1, have written an open letter exposing the poor conditions there. They describe overcrowding, with women forced to sleep on the floor or share beds, leading to injuries. They also highlight the lack of basic necessities, including proper bedding, clothing, and hygiene products, which are supposed to be provided by the state but are either missing or substandard.
The journalists also point out that the second floor of the facility, which holds 170 women, has several cells being used for non-prison purposes, such as punishment cells or kitchens for guards. Despite regulations requiring detainees to receive appropriate bedding and personal items, the women are only given poor-quality goods. The food provided is also criticized for being insufficient and of low quality.
Finally, the journalists report that detainees are not receiving the clothing and hygiene items mandated by government regulations. Although a contract was signed with a supplier for these products, they are either never delivered or go missing in the facility, raising questions about resource mismanagement and the handling of funds allocated for detainee care.
Alasgar Mammadli Unsuccesfully Requests House Arrest
Alasgar Mammadli, a media expert from “Toplum TV,” has been in detention for nine months and has appealed for house arrest due to serious health issues, including a thyroid tumor requiring urgent surgery. In his court statement, he emphasized the negative impact his detention has on his family, particularly his two children’s education and well-being.
Mammadli argued that house arrest would not interfere with the investigation and that he had legal grounds for the request. He noted his public service record and denied any intention to obstruct the legal process. However, the Baku City Police Department opposed the request, citing the risk of Mammadli fleeing or hindering the investigation. Judge Akhundov rejected the appeal.
Mammadli believes his detention is politically motivated, part of an effort to silence independent media. The case involves accusations of smuggling, with the detainees claiming the evidence against them was fabricated. His lawyers plan to appeal the court’s decision.
Azerbaijan goes to the polls again
Municipal elections in Azerbaijan have been scheduled for January 29, 2025, as announced by the Central Election Commission on November 27.
On October 18, 2024, the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) discussed a draft law to amend the “Law on Municipalities’ Territories and Lands,” reducing the number of municipalities from 1,400 to 685. This change was approved by the Milli Majlis and signed into law by President Ilham Aliyev on November 25.
Azerbaijan has held five municipal elections so far, in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019, with the most recent one on December 23, 2019. According to the Election Code, municipal elections are held every five years, typically in December. Some experts view the postponement of the 2025 elections as contrary to the law.
The post Azerbaijan’s Friday Wrap-Up: Parliamentary Election Date Set appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.
The Georgian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, David Solominia, has resigned from his post. In his letter of resignation, he wrote that that he had carried out his professional duties in good faith, while believing that he could influence the processes in any war, and as of today he doesn’t believe that anymore.
He wrote that during his three decades of service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most of his work was devoted to Georgia’s European integration and that he condemns “any kind of violence.”
Earlier, on November 29 following PM Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement of stopping EU accession negotiations unilaterally “until 2028” the Georgian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Bulgaria, Otar Berdzenishvili, has also resigned. The decision came after the Georgian Dream leadership announced halting EU accession efforts “until 2028.” Berdzenishvili also expressed solidarity with the peaceful protesters against the government’s decision.
The Georgian diplomatic corps issued a statement on November 29 saying that stopping EU accession negotiations contradicts Georgia’s strategic interests. The statement has since been signed by more that 150 diplomats in Georgia and abroad.
The GD’s U-turn on Georgia’s EU accession has sparked anger and outrage among citizens, with protests growing in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities. The move was a turning point, albeit unexpected by many, in a trend of deteriorating democratic credentials, exacerbated by the what observers say were largely rigged Parliamentary elections, and relations between Georgia and its strategic partners, including the EU.
In May this year, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco, Gotcha Javakhishvili was first Ambassador to announce his resignation, citing the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Bill. According to him, the atmosphere that was created between Georgia and its friends and partners due to the re-introduction of the bill made his job “extremely difficult.”
Also Read:
- More than 100 arrested in Georgia protests after government puts EU hopes on ice CNN
- Protesters clash with Georgian police over government’s EU application delay Reuters
- At Georgian Protests, Journalists Say They’re Being Targeted And Beaten Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
- Georgia: Thousands protest in Tbilisi after EU bid suspended BBC.com
- Protests Erupt in Georgia as It Pulls Back From Pro-Western Path The New York Times
- Georgian protesters clash with police for a second night after EU talks are suspended The Associated Press
- Georgia protests escalate, demonstrators clash with police after EU talks halted POLITICO Europe
- Over 100 protesters arrested in Georgia during second night of unrest Euronews
- Police and protesters clash in second day of demonstrations over Georgia’s frozen EU bid FRANCE 24 English
- More than 100 arrested in Georgia protests after government puts EU hopes on ice CNN
- Georgian protesters clash with police for a second night after EU talks are suspended The Associated Press
- Georgia protests escalate, demonstrators clash with police after EU talks halted POLITICO Europe
- Georgia: Thousands protest in Tbilisi after EU bid suspended BBC.com
- Prime Minister says Georgia will not allow revolution in face of pro-EU protests Reuters
- Protests Erupt in Georgia as It Pulls Back From Pro-Western Path The New York Times
- President Joins Protesters In Tbilisi As Georgia Shuns EU Accession Talks Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
- Over 100 protesters arrested in Georgia during second night of unrest Euronews
- Police and protesters clash in second day of demonstrations over Georgia’s frozen EU bid FRANCE 24 English
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) announced that 107 people were arrested during a protest near Parliament in Tbilisi early Saturday, November 30. The arrests were made on administrative charges of petty hooliganism (Article 166) and disobeying lawful police orders (Article 173).
The protests, with participation of tens of thousands people, continued in its second day and night after Irakli Kobakhidze said GD leadership decided to stall the EU accession process “until 2028” to evade fulfilling the conditions posed by Brussels that “contradict Georgian values.”
In its statements, the MIA claimed that the protest had violated the rules of assembly and manifestation, with protesters “verbally and physically confronting policemen […] throwing various types of objects, stones, pyrotechnics, glass bottles and iron objects” during the whole night. It also said that protesters damaged private infrastructure, erected barricades, damaged the entrance to the Parliament and video surveillance cameras.
According to MIA, ten of its officers were harmed during the protest with one still being hospitalized.
The MIA said its officers “used special means provided by law to restore public order.” Eyewitness and media reports of the dispersal at dawn showed extreme cases of violence by the MIA officers and unidentified “men in black” accompanying them, chasing citizens in groups and violently beating them.
Follow our live blog for more updates.
Also Read:
- 30/11/2024 – Georgian Patriarchate Urges Authorities, Protesters to Refrain from Violence
- 30/11/2024 – President Zurabishvili: Resistance Movement has Started
- 29/11/2024 – MIA: 43 Protesters Detained, 32 Officers Injured Overnight
- 29/11/2024 – Photo Story | Protest Against GD’s Decision to Abort EU Accession
U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) said the U.S. must sanction Georgian Dream party patron, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, and his cronies. “We must sanction the illegitimate Russian puppets attacking the Georgian people and denying them their sovereignty, including Bidzina Ivanishvili and his cronies,” Rep. Joe Wilson wrote on social media.
Wilson shared a document from the RSC’s 2020 National Security Strategy, which already called for sanctions against Ivanishvili.
Joe Wilson is a Republican Congressman, Chairman Representative of the Helsinki Commission, who introduced the MEGOBARI Act, a document that, among other things, envisages sanctions against Georgian officials responsible for undermining democracy in the country.
Amid the GD’s decision to halt the country’s EU accession efforts, Rep. Wilson has expressed support for the Georgian people’s fight against the ruling party. Wilson described the GD administration as “de facto” and “illegitimate,” pointing to the controversial October 26 elections, which he said were fraudulent, as well as the decision to convene Parliament without opposition participation or the approval of the President.
Also Read:
- 20/09/2024 – U.S. Readies Sanctions Against Ivanishvili – Report