The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia from January to October 2024 declined slightly compared to previous year
Month: November 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.
In recent weeks, Tbilisi has once again become the center of political unrest, with protesters taking to the streets, challenging the results of the parliamentary elections. Behind these protests lies a deeper, orchestrated strategy—one that mirrors the destabilizing tactics used in Ukraine over a decade ago. The West, leveraging a network of NGOs, media channels, and extreme ideological movements, has been actively seeking to mold Georgia into a pliable geopolitical pawn.
The Georgian police have violently cracked down on pro-EU demonstrators in the capital, Tbilisi. RFE/RL filmed officers kicking and slapping detained protesters late on November 29. Thousands took to the streets after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced Georgia would give up accession talks with and grants from the European Union.
- Georgia: Thousands protest in Tbilisi after EU bid suspended BBC.com
- Georgia sees 3rd night of protests against ruling party’s suspension of EU talks PBS NewsHour
- Georgia president calls parliament ‘illegitimate’, says will not step down FRANCE 24 English
- Many thousands rally to oppose Georgian government after break with EU Reuters
- Over 40 people hospitalized in Georgia during protests over suspension of EU talks NPR
- Protesters in Tbilisi Clash With Georgian Police The New York Times
- Georgian president calls government illegitimate, claiming rigged election The Guardian
- US Cuts Strategic Partnership With Georgia As Mass Protests Continue Newsweek
- Dozens in hospital after third night of violent protests in Georgia Euronews
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.
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Michael_Novakhov shared this story from  The Times of Israel.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a special security discussion Friday evening with the heads of the defense establishment to discuss new internal fighting in Syria and the ceasefire in Lebanon that halted more than 13 months of fighting with Hezbollah.
Syrian rebel jihadists opposed to President Bashar Assad launched a surprise offensive through government-held towns in recent days. The opposition fighters, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched an incursion on Wednesday into a dozen towns and villages in the northern province of Aleppo.
On Friday they said they’d reached the center of the city of Aleppo itself, as they pressed their lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed government. Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and regional Shi’ite militias had retaken all of Aleppo city in late 2016, with insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege in a battle that turned the tide against the opposition.
Channel 12 news reported that Jerusalem was concerned about the potential spillover ramifications of chaotic developments in Syria, as well as the possibility of unspecified Syrian strategic weapons falling into the wrong hands.
An unnamed Israeli official told Ynet: “This is something we need to closely monitor and see how it develops.”
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They added, “It doesn’t necessarily affect us, especially not in the short term, but any erosion of stability in a neighboring country could also impact us. It seems here that there are also opportunities for change.”
The fighting is some of the deadliest in years, with 255 people killed, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Most of the dead have been combatants, but the toll also includes 24 civilians, most killed in Russian air strikes.
SOHR, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria and is of unclear funding, has been accused in the past of inflating regime losses.
Fighters enter the village of Talhiyah, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib near the Taftanaz military airport, after the area was taken over by jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies in the latest battles with government forces in the northern Syrian Aleppo province, on November 29, 2024. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP)
Rebel commander in the Jaish al-Izza rebel brigade Mustafa Abdul Jaber said the speedy advance was due to insufficient Iran-backed manpower in the broader province. Iran’s allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war expanded to the Middle East.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkey had given a green light to the offensive. But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Turkey sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned that recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack was the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkey agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
Syrian state television denied rebels had reached Aleppo and said Russia was providing Syria’s military with air support.
The Syrian military said it continued to confront the attack, saying in a statement it had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: “We’re deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria.”
“Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as eight years old,” he told Reuters. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targets and must be protected under International Humanitarian Law.”
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Russian and Syrian warplanes bombed the area near the border with Turkey on Thursday to try to push back the insurgent offensive.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow regarded the rebel attack as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and wanted the authorities to act fast to regain control.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said “more than 14,000 people –- nearly half are children — have been displaced” by the violence.
Fighters set alight a picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in front of a building that was seized by jihadists in the area of Zarbah on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied groups continue their offensive in Syria’s northern Aleppo province against government forces (Aaref Watad/AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pledged “continued support for the government, nation and army of Syria,” in a phone call with his Syrian counterpart Bassam al-Sabbagh, according to a statement.
The Idlib area has been subject to a Turkish- and Russian-brokered truce since 2020. The ceasefire has been repeatedly violated but had largely held.
An AFP correspondent in the rebel enclave saw jihadists advancing in tanks as intense exchanges of fire took place in an area just seven kilometers (a little over four miles) from Aleppo. AFP images showed abandoned army tanks and other military vehicles.
Fighters seize a Syrian army tank on the international M5 highway in the area of Zarbah which was taken over by anti-government factions, on November 29, 2024 (Rami al SAYED / AFP)
The correspondent said the jihadists and their Turkey-backed allies took orders from a joint operations command.
Analyst Nick Heras, of the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, said the fighters were “trying to preempt the possibility of a Syrian military campaign in the region of Aleppo.” According to Heras, the Syrian government and its key backer Russia had been preparing for such a campaign.
Russia intervened in Syria in 2015, turning the tide of the civil war that broke out four years earlier in favor of the government, whose forces at the time had lost control of most of the country.
Other interests are also at stake.
As well as Russia, Syrian President Assad has been propped up by Iran and allied groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Iran-backed militias have a heavy presence in the Aleppo region after providing crucial ground support to the army in its recapture of rebel-held areas of the city in 2016.
Heras said anti-government forces are “in a better position to take and seize villages than Russian-backed Syrian government forces, while the Iranians are focused on Lebanon.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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