Foreign and economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday called for an immediate halt to the war in the Middle East, and said the effects of surging oil prices and disrupted trade are already hitting Southeast Asia’s economies, AzerNEWS reports, citing Tribune.
Category: South Caucasus News
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In Azerbaijan, the dissemination of information about personal and family life is prohibited, even if it is true.
The Supreme Court has released a new decision on this matter under the “Protection of Personal Rights” framework.
According to the decision, individuals can now go to court on the grounds of violation of their right to privacy, regardless of whether the information is true or false. They will have the right to demand compensation for moral damages, deletion of the information, retraction, or cessation of its dissemination.
Previously, it was only possible to go to court if the disseminated information was false; sharing truthful information without consent did not provide legal protection.
For many years in Azerbaijan, it has been common for activists, journalists, opposition figures, and their family members to have their private images obtained without consent and disseminated for political purposes. Channels under government control have broadcast TV programs and reports featuring such footage.
However, Article 32 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan guarantees the right to personal inviolability. According to this article, no one may collect, store, use, or disseminate information about a person’s private life without their consent. Moreover, everyone has the right to confidentiality of correspondence, phone calls, mail, telegraph, and other means of communication, which the state must guarantee.
The Supreme Court’s decision following blogger Mehman Huseynov’s series of videos about President Ilham Aliyev’s daughter-in-law Alyona Aliyeva has raised many questions. A portion of the public believes that this is not a coincidence.
Is a legal loophole being closed, or is a new one being created?
Lawyer Fariz Namazli told Meydan TV that the inviolability of private and family life is one of the fundamental rights protected by the constitution. However, previous legal practice created significant gaps in protecting personal information.
Photo: From Fariz Namazlı’s personal archive
“Previously, the primary condition for civil lawsuits was that the disseminated information be false. If true information was shared without consent, there was no effective legal protection mechanism,” he said.
With the new decision, this gap has been closed, and the right to privacy is recognized as a separate, independent legal institution. Nonetheless, the lawyer expressed concern that the law could create additional problems in some cases, particularly regarding restrictions on the activities of journalists and bloggers:
“Recently, the dissemination of information on social networks about the personal and family lives of government representatives has made it necessary to hold those who spread such information accountable under the law.”
Is the law applicable to everyone?
Jamil Hasanli, chairman of the National Council, emphasized that the decision is part of a broader strategy to restrict freedoms in the country:
Jamil Hasanli, Photo: Meydan TV
“This decision will mainly affect journalists, bloggers, and information disseminators. The goal is to limit their activities. It is a decision that prevents the personal information of the ruling elite from becoming public more than protecting citizens. It contradicts the Human Rights Charter that Azerbaijan has joined, the UN Charter, and the fundamental principles of human rights of the Council of Europe.”
Hasanli added that government authorities themselves have been collecting, using, and disseminating private information for years to put targeted individuals under pressure:
“It is interesting whether this decision will also apply to the state and government authorities. This is a serious issue because, for a long time, the State Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and related bodies have installed secret video devices in people’s homes and used the material for blackmail. They also publicize it on affiliated websites and media outlets. It seems that the government will use this law to target journalists, bloggers, and anyone working in the information field to restrict their freedom.”
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President Aliyev, even if you do not acknowledge their existence, there are, have been, and will be independent journalists in Azerbaijan!
We stand in solidarity with people whose rights are systematically violated in the country. Our independence is our choice: to support society under conditions of fear, arbitrary actions, and pressure.
Our independence is a commitment to freedom of speech. It is our shield against lies and manipulation, delivering the truth to the public.
As unemployment and poverty rise, you claim “five percent poverty” and insist that people “just don’t want to work.” We respond with facts and reports from the ground.
As Azerbaijan hosts international events like COP29 to gain external legitimacy, we expose the truth: your “green” policies smell of fuel oil.
Our independence is Soyudlu. It is the stories of those unheard on state broadcasts.
Our independence is our ability to create media organizations like Meydan TV; in a place where you want to drown the people of the country in darkness, it is their alternative voice.
Finally, if you want to see independent media, you are invited to Baku Detention Center No. 1, where we have been held for 15 months.
Come to the detention center and meet us, along with the live broadcast of the state television.
You did not allow our cameras near you. Now we have a single address: Baku Detention Center No. 1. We are ready for an open conversation.
Aytaj AhmadovaKhayala AghayevaAysel Umudova
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@kbalian90 Another baseless attack by a compromised NGO. Labeling a nation that restored its own borders “genocidal” is a mockery of real tragedies. Stop weaponizing humanitarian terms to protect those who violated international law for 30 years. #FakeNews #SouthCaucasus
— Emil Axundov (@hidayet_ilyas) Mar 13, 2026