MP: "In which country is everyone satisfied with the government?"

Representatives of the Azerbaijani government frequently emphasize the high level of public support they enjoy. However, their opponents argue that, due to the lack of free and fair elections in the country, it remains unclear whom the public genuinely supports.

Following a car accident last week in the city of Imishli, which resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to several others, the relationship between the government and the public became a widely discussed topic on social media. The accident involved a State Traffic Police (DYP) vehicle that collided with another car, injuring children on the sidewalk. This incident sparked protests in the region, with calls for resignation heard during the demonstrations, and some participants were detained. Although official bodies have not confirmed it, allegations of torture against detainees have also emerged.

In the wake of these events, some raised the question: If the government enjoys substantial public support, why does it respond harshly to even localized protests?

"The state of human rights in Azerbaijan is dire. The Musavat Party believes that the mass violation of human rights has reached a serious crisis. Human rights organizations report that there are over 330 political prisoners. The manner in which people are arrested, their treatment in detention centers, reports of torture, and the violations of their rights during investigations and trials have become commonplace," said Isa Gambar, the chairman of the Musavat Party, in response to Radio Azadliq's question about the state of human rights in light of recent events.

According to Gambar, the issue has reached a severe crisis level: "The number of political prisoners, reports of torture, etc., are contrary to Azerbaijan's fundamental interests and goals, creating problems in its relations with international organizations and major powers. These problems could escalate."

He also believes that to understand public opinion accurately, either credible elections must be held or reliable sociological surveys conducted: "If the government were confident in itself, it would hold fair elections, count the votes accurately, determine the winner, and no one, either domestically or internationally, could criticize it on election-related matters. If the government avoids free and fair elections and fails to create equal election conditions for all political forces and citizens, then it clearly knows that public opinion is against it."

He added that the government does not consider public sentiment: "The government has likely established certain benchmarks to prevent public discontent from spiraling out of control and bases its decisions on these benchmarks. However, the government must realize that these benchmarks could be misleading. Neither politicians nor scientists can predict when public discontent will reach a boiling point."

In contrast, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) has a different perspective. MP Malahat Ibrahimqizi from YAP told Turan that the state of human rights in the country is "very satisfactory": "Whose opinions are you relying on? Organizations like Soros or Human Rights Watch? Some of our citizens—though not all—are unaware of the boundaries of their rights. There is still a lack of awareness on this subject, and gaps exist in this area."

She added that the people have a single government and have repeatedly united as one behind the president: "If you view democracy as it exists in America or Europe, you must be fair. In which country is everyone satisfied with the government? In court cases, there are always two sides, and each believes they are right. Yet the court rules in favor of one side, which inevitably leads to dissatisfaction. In America, only 33% of the population is satisfied with the judiciary, and that’s natural. Of course, there are dissatisfied individuals in Azerbaijan, just as there are worldwide, and I consider this natural."

The MP admitted to being unaware of the events in Imishli: "Honestly, I don't know what happened in Imishli; it escaped my attention, and I haven't read about it. If a few people protested there—say 10 people—that does not mean the entire population is dissatisfied with the government."

Meanwhile, Natig Jafarli, head of the Republican Alternative Party (ReAL), also noted that the state of human rights in Azerbaijan has been far from satisfactory in recent years: "The narrowing boundaries of rights and freedoms, the arrests of journalists and civil society activists under questionable circumstances, and other issues persist. Decisions must be made to address these concerns."

According to Jafarli, elected bodies that serve as a bridge between the government and the people should exist: "But holding free and fair elections in Azerbaijan has become a significant challenge. Therefore, the connection between the government and the public is maintained through social media. Only on social media can people voice their grievances, demands, and issues. If the matter is non-political—such as environmental or social problems—it often receives a normal, adequate response, and those problems are resolved. However, when there are serious political protests on social media, we witness repressive actions against those individuals."

He did not classify the protests in Imishli as political: "This is more an expression of anger caused by a specific incident. But the problem is that a climate of resentment and hatred has developed in society, making it impossible for people to respond to situations normally. As a result, only chaotic outcomes occur. The government must learn from this."