'Even the deputy's right to freely express his opinion has been restricted'

On April 25, the disciplinary commission of the Milli Majlis decided to consider the case of deputy Vahid Akhmedov, who expressed his opinion in an interview with blogger Mehman Huseynov. In an interview, Akhmedov criticized the participation of some deputies in business and suggested that opposition parties, including the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan and the Musavat Party, could get seats in parliament. He also commented on the role of Turkey in Azerbaijan, saying that it is not easy to be an opposition to the current policy of the state, which includes strong ties with Turkey.

The discussion of Akhmedov's interview in parliament attracted attention on social networks, and some users expressed concern about the lack of freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. However, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Human Rights, Elman Nasirov, defended the democratic way of development of the state and stated that all rights, including freedom of speech, are protected in the country. Nasirov, in an interview with Turan, criticized Akhmedov's interview for contradicting statehood, and questioned his views on opposition parties and Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan.

Bashir Suleymanli, head of the Institute of Civil Rights, in a comment for Radio Azadlig expressed concern about the limited right of the deputy to freely express his opinion and criticized the campaign against Akhmedov in parliament and the media. Suleymanli questioned the possible punishment of Akhmedov and expressed doubt that he would be deprived of his deputy mandate.

Vahid Akhmedov has been consistently represented in the Azerbaijani parliament since 2005 and is known for his critical speeches. This is not the first time that an interview of a deputy to blogger Mehman Huseynov has caused criticism in the Milli Majlis, since a similar incident occurred in January with the participation of deputy Erkin Kadirli.

Blogger Mehman Huseynov posed a challenging question to Deputy Erkin Gadirli regarding the authenticity of Azerbaijan's democratic elections. When asked to identify a member of the Milli Majlis who truly won the people's votes, Gadirli expressed hesitancy and cast doubt on the fairness of the election process. The Deputy stated that he himself could not assert with certainty that he had won the people's vote, and highlighted the challenge of determining which members of parliament genuinely represented the will of the people without transparent and truly democratic elections.

The issue underscores concerns about transparency and fairness in Azerbaijan's electoral system and raises questions about the legitimacy of its elected officials.