Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

[Federate]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Cars, Buildings Burn In Azerbaijani Unrest


January 24, 2013

Thousands of people have protested in a town in Azerbaijan, setting fire to cars and buildings, including a hotel and the residence of a local governor.

RFE/RL correspondents say authorities have dispatched additional police following the unrest in the evening on January 23 in Ismayilli region, some 150 kilometers northwest of the capital Baku.

Protesters were demanding the resignation of the local governor, Nizami Alekberov.

The unrest reportedly was triggered by a car accident involving the owner of the "Chirag" hotel.

RFE/RL correspondents say authorities have ignored repeated calls by local residents to shut down the hotel, the site of an alleged brothel.

The hotel and governor's residence were seriously damaged by fire.

Protesters also targeted luxury cars.

There were no reports of arrests or injuries.

It's the second major protest in a week in Azerbaijan.

On January 19, police clashed with shopkeepers blocking a highway to protest rent increases at the country's largest shopping center.

http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-unrest-ismayilli/24882059.html

[Federate]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

http://www.azadliq.org/media/photogallery/24882044.html

[Mos]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

He can't start so fast, he has to make something up like an incident and play it up for a few weeks before he can make his move. This last burning of buildings was not a small matter, people are fed up. He is also loosing the Western support, no oil no love. Not saying he won't try but we need something to happen to galvanize his people not sure he can muster that just yet. Besides with all the anti Armenian propaganda over the years I'm sure most are numb to the sh!t he preaches. People have come to see the truth, and this is turning on him. After all people see his clan sitting in the Villa's not Armenians, who can he blame for this?

He has Turkish/Israeli/Neocon support. That's all he needs really. Azeris have been brainwashed by that propaganda. Like North Koreans. God knows if they will think more rationally, I have my doubts. The thing is all the world powers just want the status quo maintained and no war.

I don't think this is an Arab Spring kind of thing, Azeris are too fond of Aliyev to topple him. An event similar to what happened today in Ismayilli happened last year in Guba where 10,000 rioted because of a governor insulting their province. The rioters actually carried photos of Aliyev and demanded he save them from the governor by removing him and what not. Died down the next day... we'll see where this goes but so far, it looks like a repeat to me. They burned down the local administration's office and attacked his son's vehicles.

Plus they can't topple him. Not enough momentum to do so, and he has a lot of support. Need something extraordinary, but I'm not sure if his successor would be any better.

[Vahram]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

I don't think this is an Arab Spring kind of thing, Azeris are too fond of Aliyev to topple him

I see your point, but there is a reason why people riot, unless of course this is just part of their DNA and we are very aware of what they are like. If they are having problems with people burning things down at a strike of a match ( no pun intended ) there is far more serious problem on the ground. Besides very little of this has leaked out. So far the only thing that has come forth is that there is some stupid accident and there is a brothel someplace and 10,000 people came out and burned down a hotel and tourched a government building to the point that the Army had to be called in. If you believe what is out there, I have a feeling this is more than some stupid accident next to a brothel it just sounds to silly. Having riots like this is a failed state scenario and with complete lack of freedom of press or even the people what do we really know?

[Vahram]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

He has Turkish/Israeli/Neocon support. That's all he needs really. Azeris have been brainwashed by that propaganda. Like North Koreans. God knows if they will think more rationally, I have my doubts.

Agree, but not sure if the Neocons are going to push it as the pipelanistan thing is settled and Russia won that one. The pipelines did not go the way of the West and now with less baboon oil hitting the market the blood for oil might not be worth it to them. The Isreali thing with Iran may be the boiling point, we shall see, it is getting hot I have to say this.

The thing is all the world powers just want the status quo maintained and no war.

How about another twist, they wanted to maintain the status quo in the hope and dreams that the baboon oil output would eventually crush the Armenians. This would make the Western wish of having Georgia, Armenia and Baboonistan in their fold. But what has happened is not what was dreamed. In addition Georgia is looking very stupid now, and is trying to get back to Armenia. Not out of love, but the Armenians have build the Railroad and they want a cut of that action as the oil dries up. So we will have to be very smart in sniffing out what the new game is. Either they have formulated new plans or are going to try and make the old plan work. If it is the latter, Russia better get ready to assist as this is the last leg before they move onto Moscow.

[Mos]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Agree, but not sure if the Neocons are going to push it as the pipelanistan thing is settled and Russia won that one. The pipelines did not go the way of the West and now with less baboon oil hitting the market the blood for oil might not be worth it to them. The Isreali thing with Iran may be the boiling point, we shall see, it is getting hot I have to say this.

Neocons want Northern Azerbaijan to separate to weaken Iran. In all neocons and Azerbaijan have similar interests. Neocons are well represented via Israeli rather than US Government right now, thus the heavy support and relations between israel/azerbaijan which most of is kept under the covers, so "Muslim" Azerbaijan can keep its reputation.

How about another twist, they wanted to maintain the status quo in the hope and dreams that the baboon oil output would eventually crush the Armenians. This would make the Western wish of having Georgia, Armenia and Baboonistan in their fold. But what has happened is not what was dreamed. In addition Georgia is looking very stupid now, and is trying to get back to Armenia. Not out of love, but the Armenians have build the Railroad and they want a cut of that action as the oil dries up. So we will have to be very smart in sniffing out what the new game is. Either they have formulated new plans or are going to try and make the old plan work. If it is the latter, Russia better get ready to assist as this is the last leg before they move onto Moscow.

Well the world powers want stability in that region for their energy projects. For this reason they want Turkey border opened and Karabakh issue solved. Gives them energy stability. Georgia is on the fence now. I think they won't become pro-Russian, but will become like Ukraine. A balance between the two. Ukraine also had a color revolution then relapsed.

[Vahram]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Georgia is on the fence now. I think they won't become pro-Russian, but will become like Ukraine. A balance between the two. Ukraine also had a color revolution then relapsed.

Yes but this is not part of the original plan! So things have changed, some things are not adding up the way they were. Now if the West has sniffed the lack of oil, and the dream has faded there is a new reality in all this someplace. Aside from a rouge move from baboon but first I think they need to secure more oil for all this to be worth something. They are in danger and having these 10,000 people burning down hotels and government buildings is not a good sign of something healthy.

Nord stream gets another leg, Czech gas pipeline connecting to Nord Stream.

http://www.energyglobal.com/news/pipelines/articles/Czech_gas_pipeline_connecting_to_Nord_Stream_opened_316.aspx

Also

Azerbaijan’s leadership should take to heart and act on the clear message sent by one of Europe’s foremost human rights bodies about the urgent need for rights reform, Human Rights Watch said today.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/01/23/azerbaijan-heed-council-europe-s-call-rights-reform

After our Euro friends gave them Eurovision, and kept quite about all the bad things. In fact they had stories of how wonderful a country that baboonistan is and would become, to get this kind of public berating means that end of oil is near. Europe can now go back to being a Human organization and all the indiscretions of the past will be swept under the rug.

[Haykakan]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Azerbaijani Police Fires Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas at Protesting Small
Business Owners

http://azerireport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3836&Itemid=42

BAKU. January 19, 2013. Azerbaijani police fired rubber bullets and
tear gas and used truncheons today against protesting small business
owner at `Bina' shopping center in capital Baku's suburbs, according
to local media reports.
Over thousand shopkeepers blocked the highway that links Baku to
coastal cities and staged a protest. Another 5,000 shop owners also
have kept their businesses shut today in a sign of solidarity with the
protesters.

Some protesters threw stones in retaliation to the police attacks and
clashes erupted between the business owners and the police. Protesters
managed to hold for about few hours, before being dispersed by the
police. Both protesters and police were reported to sustain injuries
and about 15-25 protesters were detained according to different
reports. Local media and social websites also informed about the
detained protesters being severely beaten by the police.
The shopkeepers were voicing their objections against rent increases
for conducting business at the shopping center and against a new law
that requires them to install cash registers at their small shops. The
protesters told to the media that they had to pay ever increasing sums
for being allowed to conduct their business at the center.
`Bina' shopping center is one of the largest in the country, housing
thousands of small shops trading all kinds of consumer goods. The
ownership of the shopping center is being tracked by local observers
to the head of presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, who is
directly implicated in the ongoing scandal over saleof parliamentary
seats in exchange for large bribes and the death of a key witness,
which is unraveling on the hidden cam videos being released online.
Smaller actions by business owners had taken place at the shopping
centers in Azerbaijan before, but the Bina protest today was the
biggest and most violent confrontation by business owners and the
authorities.
Indicating increasing tensions between the the Aliyev regime and the
broader society, today's events came at the hills of last week's large
demonstration in downtown Baku organized by youth groups using social
media to call for protests against abuse and deaths of conscripts in
the national army. (Azeri Report, RFE/RL)

[Federate]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

From today in Ismayilli

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Azerbaijan - Internal Political Affairs

Azerbaijani Police Fires Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas at Protesting Small
Business Owners

http://azerireport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3836&Itemid=42

BAKU. January 19, 2013. Azerbaijani police fired rubber bullets and
tear gas and used truncheons today against protesting small business
owner at `Bina' shopping center in capital Baku's suburbs, according
to local media reports.
Over thousand shopkeepers blocked the highway that links Baku to
coastal cities and staged a protest. Another 5,000 shop owners also
have kept their businesses shut today in a sign of solidarity with the
protesters.

Some protesters threw stones in retaliation to the police attacks and
clashes erupted between the business owners and the police. Protesters
managed to hold for about few hours, before being dispersed by the
police. Both protesters and police were reported to sustain injuries
and about 15-25 protesters were detained according to different
reports. Local media and social websites also informed about the
detained protesters being severely beaten by the police.
The shopkeepers were voicing their objections against rent increases
for conducting business at the shopping center and against a new law
that requires them to install cash registers at their small shops. The
protesters told to the media that they had to pay ever increasing sums
for being allowed to conduct their business at the center.
`Bina' shopping center is one of the largest in the country, housing
thousands of small shops trading all kinds of consumer goods. The
ownership of the shopping center is being tracked by local observers
to the head of presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, who is
directly implicated in the ongoing scandal over saleof parliamentary
seats in exchange for large bribes and the death of a key witness,
which is unraveling on the hidden cam videos being released online.
Smaller actions by business owners had taken place at the shopping
centers in Azerbaijan before, but the Bina protest today was the
biggest and most violent confrontation by business owners and the
authorities.

Armenian shopkeepers, when faced with exactly the same things, don't protest - they just emigrate.