"Bronze autocracy", Inam Kerimov's claims to free media, "Terter" process

Baku/25.05.23/Turan:  Azerbaijan's ranking in terms of its rating places it ahead of only Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, according to a report. These three countries are among the eight states characterized as having "strengthened autocracy."

The authors of the study assert that the governmental structures of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan lack "democratic qualities" almost entirely.

The report also highlights that citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan face challenges due to the nepotism prevalent among the ruling elites.

Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova are categorized as "hybrid regimes" in the study.

The Azerbaijani authorities have not responded to the report as of yet.

Nevertheless, official statements from Baku maintain that citizens' rights and freedoms are "guaranteed in the country," and dismiss international criticism as "unfounded."

A few years ago, President Aliyev accused Freedom House of displaying a pro-Armenian stance and asserted that the organization's reports held no significance for Azerbaijan.

Human rights activist Rufat Safarov provides commentary on these and other topics in the "Difficult Question" program.

Safarov points out that the authorities consistently perceive international organizations that issue critical reports on Azerbaijan's human rights situation as pro-Armenian.

"We are already accustomed to such rhetoric, and it no longer surprises us," Safarov remarked, adding that he mostly agrees with the Freedom House report but not entirely.

"To be fair, I must acknowledge that I agree with the report mostly, but not entirely. Undoubtedly, the political situation and the state of rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan have received an appropriate assessment. It is undeniable that authoritarianism has deeply permeated society. Our country has established a 'strengthened authoritarian system,' which is a result of the policies pursued by the current government," Safarov explained.

He recalled that in March of this year, Freedom House released an annual report titled "Freedom in the World," which assessed the state of freedom globally.

"In the accompanying rating, Azerbaijan was grouped alongside countries like China, Myanmar, and Yemen," he noted.

Safarov expressed disagreement with one aspect of the Freedom House report, namely the characterization of Azerbaijan as a country that occupies Armenian territory and discriminates against the Armenian community in Karabakh.

"Azerbaijan itself is currently suffering from the occupation by Armenia. The report considers the return of territories occupied by Armenia in 2020 as an occupation, which I strongly disagree with," Safarov emphasized.

Regarding the recent statement by Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, Inam Kerimov, asserting that "freedom of the media is ensured in our country by both legislation and judicial practice," Safarov argued that Kerimov is not free to express an alternative viewpoint and could not state otherwise.

Regarding the "Terter" process, Safarov believes that under the current circumstances, one should not expect a fair, objective, comprehensive, and thorough examination of high-profile, protracted criminal cases.