This week marked the start of Fazil Gasimov’s trial amid allegations of torture, a ceasefire dispute potentially being resolved through diplomacy, and numbers of Russians and Ukrainians fleeing to Azerbaijan since 2022.
Academic in hunger strike alleges torture and threats of sexual harassment to force false testimony
The trial of Fazil Gasimov, an academic accused together with economist Gubad Ibadoglu, faces charges related to the distribution of counterfeit money. However, the case against Ibadoglu was separated in July, leaving Gasimov to face the court alone.
Gasimov strongly refuted the charges, asserting that they were fabricated as a means of targeting him due to his involvement in establishing the Azerbaijan Youth Education Fund with Ibadoglu. He claimed that he was tortured and coerced into making false statements against Ibadoglu and threatened with sexual harassment. Gasimov highlighted that he had been on a hunger strike for 62 days in protest of his detention. He also alleged that a psychiatrist was added to his tea as a form of psychological pressure during the investigation, further questioning the legitimacy of the proceedings against him.
Despite his deteriorating health, as highlighted by his lawyers, the court denied motions for Gasimov’s release to house arrest or for the case to be reinvestigated. The only concession made was the inclusion of a letter written by Gasimov to the Prosecutor General in the case materials. The trial is set to continue on August 29, amid growing concerns about Gasimov’s health and the fairness of the judicial process.
Yerevan offers Baku a joint mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations
On August 16, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported that Armenian armed forces opened fire on Azerbaijani Army positions near the Sadarak district around 03:20 AM. The ministry stated that adequate response measures were taken in response to the violation. This incident follows a pattern of ceasefire violations in the region, with Azerbaijan accusing Armenia of breaching the truce.
In contrast, the Armenian Ministry of Defense denied the accusations, suggesting that the Armenian Prime Minister’s office had proposed creating a bilateral mechanism with Azerbaijan to investigate ceasefire violations. This proposal was made through diplomatic channels to the Azerbaijani President’s Administration.
Despite these tensions, the broader context includes ongoing peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with international mediation by the United States, the European Union, and Russia.
Over 1.5 million Russians and Ukrainians flee to Azerbaijan since 2022
Between March 2022 and July 2024, 1,535,889 citizens from Russia and Ukraine arrived in Azerbaijan, influenced by the ongoing conflict between the two countries. This data, provided by the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, highlights a significant influx of people from both nations since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began on February 24, 2022.
In 2022, from March to December, 397,005 Russian citizens and 24,609 Ukrainian citizens entered Azerbaijan. The trend continued in 2023, with a sharp increase in arrivals from Russia, where the number of Russian citizens entering Azerbaijan rose by over 200,000, reaching a total of 624,753. Additionally, 31,267 Ukrainian citizens entered the country that year.
The pattern persisted into the first half of 2024, with 438,066 Russian and 20,189 Ukrainian citizens arriving in Azerbaijan between January and July. The ongoing conflict has driven a sustained movement of people from the affected regions into neighboring countries like Azerbaijan.
