Reuters report on the detention of Ali Karimli, leader of Azerbaijan’s single largest opposition party Popular Front:

www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

Let’s see which EU country will be the first to reward it by another energy contract.

via @ralexdc.bsky.social

From Conflict to Commerce: ‘Trump Route’ to Link Azerbaijan, Armenia in New Peace Deal

www.kyivpost.com/post/57664?f...

- Azerbaijan and Armenia will declare exiting OSCE Minsk Group
- both AZ and ARM will sign bilateral documents with the US to advance relations
- contentious issues (prisoners in Baku, Armenian constitution) will be left to next stages
- Trump admin worked on these agreements since late February.

Among those sentenced today is a very good friend of mine, Farid Mehralizada, who was not connected to Abzas but was inserted into the case just for being the finest and most vocally critical economy analyst in the country. Here is his final speech at the trial: freefarid.info/f%c9%99rid-m...

The authorities tried geopoliticizing repressions by propagating conspiracies over connections of media outlets to Western funding agencies. Real purpose, however, was cementing dictatorial rule, with no room for critical activity that was hitherto tolerated.

globalvoices.org/2024/01/04/e...

The Abzas case marked the outset of havoc on the independent media ecosystem in Azerbaijan: subsequently, all other independent outlets - MeydanTV, ToplumTV, Kanal 13 and Turan Agency - became targets of heavy repression, with over 25 editors/journalists arrested, combined, in less than two years.

Following 1.5 years of sham, vindictive investigations & trials, Abzas Media managers & journalists have today been sentenced to 7-9 years in prison. The fabricated charges are smuggling & tax evasion, but this severe punishment is unleashed for Abzas team's courage to uncover grand corruption.