Is there a link between the closure of Wolt and the arrest of couriers?

Baku/15.08.23/Turan: The Food Security Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (FSAA) has opted to reinstate a restrictive measure concerning the suspension of operations for Wolt Azerbaijan LLC.

FSAA announced that due to identified deficiencies, the decision to impose a suspension on food delivery operations and apply restrictive measures against individuals who have not undergone initial and periodic medical examinations has been renewed. Additionally, appropriate actions were taken against the responsible figure at the LLC.

However, discussions on social media have connected the suspension of Wolt Azerbaijan's activities with recent pressures on couriers.

Last year, on April 21, couriers from Volt company protested on social platforms due to inadequate service fees. On August 1 of this year, a group of couriers objected to traffic police halting their mopeds and impounding them. Shortly after this incident, Afiyaddin Mammadov, chairman of the Independent Trade Union Confederation, was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention. Subsequently, Aykhan Israfilov and Elvin Mustafayev, members of the "Desktop" Independent Confederation of Trade Unions board, were also apprehended on charges related to drug possession, storage, and distribution. Another "Desktop" board member managed to evade authorities. Following the spread of information about potential arrest threats on social media, the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that no action was being taken against him.

Human rights advocate Rufat Safarov discusses these developments on the program "Difficult Question." According to Safarov, authorities are highly sensitive to any form of protest, regardless of its scale, perceiving it as a threat to the burgeoning authoritarian trends. Consequently, the targeting of couriers and employees based on false allegations serves the authoritarian inclinations of the government.

Safarov states, "The government is becoming increasingly concerned about the activities of non-political segments of society. Thus, the actions of 'Desktop,' which advocates for workers' interests, its organizational expansion, and its exercise of the right to assemble, are causing growing unease among authorities."

He emphasizes that authorities fear unauthorized gatherings, even if they lack political implications. "For this reason, individuals dissatisfied with government policies might and are being persecuted, regardless of their political inclinations," Safarov asserts.

In his view, the "Wolt Azerbaijan" courier movement has genuinely unnerved authorities, as it has the potential to spark an unpredictable sequence of events if left unchecked.

"Authorities believe that the courier movement gained momentum with the tacit approval of Volt Azerbaijan's management. Consequently, they seek to penalize 'Volt Azerbaijan' by leveraging FSAA," Safarov explains.

In response, Wolt Azerbaijan refutes the claims made by Azerbaijan's Food Safety Agency regarding the suspension of the company's operations due to violations.

"Our app remains active, allowing customers to place orders as usual. Regarding the Food Safety Agency's requirements, Volt operates in full compliance with the law, a fact confirmed by a court ruling. Allegations of violations in Wolt Azerbaijan LLC's activities are baseless," the statement asserts.