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By Vugar Gojayev

NAKHCHIVAN. January 22, 2009: The situation continues to remain tense in Bananyar village, following the Nakhchivan government’s orchestrated barrier against to the recent attempt of the Norwegian and US diplomats to enter the village. According to the villagers, those protesting the arrival of diplomats were brought from the neighboring villages purposely and most of them were informers for police.

Pro-government TVs in Baku, primarily AzTV and “private” Lider TV, continue to slam the opposition parties and US and Norwegian embassies of “exaggerating and misjudging” the happenings on the ground. The state propaganda accuses Iran and Baku-based opposition parties of jointly planning the unrest. In analytical primetime news of Lider TV, the news anchor went even further claiming that “Nakhchivan is one of the unique cases of the world that both Iran and US have common interest and both cooperated jointly to flare up the turmoil”.

On 18 January, an arrested villager, (who was arrested shortly after he showed up in “Azadliq Radio” and criticized the police violence) was forced to make a public denunciation in Lider TV, where he said under duress that all those violence has been prepared by opposition popular Party and its alleged armed groups. Shortly after his speech his brother in the village died of heart attack.

According to the villagers, those who publicly criticize police abuse and ruling regime face politically motivated job dismissals, which have long since been widely practiced not only in Nakhchivan, but throughout the rest of Azerbaijan. The supporters of opposition parties, government critics, pro-opposition NGOs or their relatives have been and still continue to be exercised dismissed from their jobs or had their work hours and payment severely curtailed as part of the broad campaign to intimidate the dissent.

Some of the critics and activists have also been given the choice between losing their jobs or denouncing publicly, preferably on television, the opposition parties and warmly glorifying the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) and leadership. Nakhchivan, a region with alarmingly few available employment opportunities, the unemployment and poverty have reached critical levels, with very often the entire families depend on the income of a single wage earner, whose dismissal may cause severe consequences for many. Therefore, for the sake of keeping their jobs with meager salaries, people generally prefer to turn a blind eye to the ongoing injustice.

That is true to claim that Nakhchivan is one of the cleanest regions of Azerbaijan, with good-looking new buildings and dirt-free streets. From the outside, Nakhchivan indeed gives an impression of prosperity, but it that does not reflect the deep poverty of most of the population and the grim realities.

Detainees:

Almost all those arrested on 27 December and 5^th January have reportedly been released, with two released past 5 days. The last person to be released was 66-year old Rza Nuriyev, the head of local branch of the opposition Popular Front Party. He had been arrested on January 5 and was released today. Under the official statement from the Nakhchivani authorities, Nuriyev was accused of masterminding the turmoil and provoking the incident. But, the villagers and his family denied the charges.

The Interior Ministry and Prosecutors office in Nakhchivan refused to give any information about his well-being and place of detention. None of those released villagers were able to confirm seeing Nuriyev in detention cells where they were kept.

As there is almost no independent lawyers in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, detainees do not have access to a counsel of their choice. The lawyers traditionally provided by the courts are mostly used as middlemen to mediate the bribe money extorted by the corrupt judges from the people who face harsh sentences. The trials of politically minded people show absolutely no respect to due process.

Reports that police continue to harass and threaten witnesses and freed detainees’ families, who are warned and prevented from making torture allegations public or speaking to media. With the absence of free media and the de-facto ban on Baku-based opposition and independent journalists entry to the village, there is a restricted access to information about torture allegations and general treatment during the detention period.

Hunting Bananyar villagers … in Baku

There are substantial reports that the Baku-based outspoken villagers from Bananyar village are being questioned and detained, with no reports on their whereabouts. Some of the villagers who came to Baku aftermath the incidents of 5^th January to meet with the Baku-based international organizations (OSCE, embassies) have been threatened by phone calls and warned of possible arrest upon their return to their village.

Ibrahim Alakbarov is one of those, who have been taken away from his house in Baku by police, while his family and relatives fail to know of his place of detention. It is still difficult to substantiate the number of the Baku-based villagers of Bananyar, who was “abducted” in capital Baku.

“Medal of Honour”, “Friend of media” and possibly a “Goodwill Ambassador”

Analysts in Baku claim that the recent award to Nakhchivan’s strongman by President Aliyev is a clear indication of the fact that President is fully aware of the developments in Bananyar village. This has also been seen as a “warning message” by President Aliyev to Western diplomats to imply that President supports and is happy with the way Talibov rules Nakhchivan.

Awarding Talibov had an extremely chilling effect on Nakhchivani citizens. It put a lid on any hope that the villagers had related with the possible punishment of policemen and members of the Internal Troops. The pro-governmental media have been lately instructed to provide only a rosy picture of happy workers, growing investment opportunities, free and developing media, new employment opportunities and a prosperous economy of stable Nakhchivan, which all are far from the grim reality on the ground. Such a public support to Talibov by the President is feared to give more courage to Nakhchivan’s strongman to further suppress the dissent and instill fear in the society.

Early this week, Talibov has also been decorated with “Friend of Media”, by the infamous Press Council, an institution which has lost its credibility long ago. But, Talibov’s honeymoon still continues: Nakhchivan’s leader is expected to be named “Goodwill Ambassador” soon…

Update was prepared by Vugar Gojayev, freelance journalist writing on developments in the South Caucasus. He holds MA from the University of Essex, United Kingdom.