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SPY MANIA
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1447: spy-mania&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Tuesday, 29 April 2014 09:45
"Witch hunt" started in Baku
Last week, an event took place in Azerbaijan, which, perhaps, cannot
be considered a purely domestic policy. On April 19, the special
services of Azerbaijanarrested prominent journalist of Mirror leading
Russian-language newspaper in this country Rauf Mirkadyrov that has
lived in Turkey for the last three years.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office, the journalist is
suspected that "to the detriment of the sovereignty, national security,
territorial integrity, and defensibility of the AzerbaijanRepublic,
he has been involved in secret cooperation by the special services
of Armenia since April 2008."
It is noted that he has repeatedly met with them in Armenia,
Georgia and Turkey, providing corresponding information about the
social-political and military situation in the country, as well
as information that was a state secret, along with photographs
and diagrams, in order to use them for hostile activities against
Azerbaijan. Under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, the crimes
incriminated to Mirkadyrov require penalty from 10 years of
imprisonment to life imprisonment.
It isn't accidental that we stated in the beginning of the article
that the arrest of Rauf Mirkadyrov is beyond Azerbaijan in its sound
public. And the matter is not at all that the journalist is accused of
spying for a foreign state, in this case for Armenia. Surely, one can,
as usual in such cases, say that the court will figure everything out.
It is possible, if it were not the court of Azerbaijan, which is not
trusted even by its own citizens. Otherwise, they would not talk openly
about the custom character of the arrest. In particular, the statement
of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, which is headed by famous
Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus, qualifies this fact
as "clear evidence of the rampant repression by the authoritarian
regime." There is no doubt that Mirkadyrov's deportation fromTurkey
and arrest were sanctioned by the top leadership of Azerbaijan.
Apparently, the journalist, who differed by his principled position
and sharp criticism against his own authorities on the domestic policy
issues, became a thorn in the eye of the authorities.
But, we'll focus on the external aspect of Rauf Mirkadyrov's activity.
It is known that within the "public diplomacy" the journalist was
actively involved in numerous projects implemented jointly with the
Armenian NGOs and to this end, he has repeatedly visited Armenia. And
it should be noted that in his publications about the Karabakh
conflict, while defending the interests of Azerbaijan, he stuck to
the civilized norms of discussion and did not fall to the marketplace
abuse against the Armenian side, which is usual for almost all the
Azerbaijani media replacing the absence of any compelling arguments
by vulgar insults. It is quite clear that Mirkadyrov's ethically
restrained position could not satisfy the leadership of Azerbaijan,
which, with Ilham Aliyev's coming to power, ceased any ties withArmenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. Under Ilham Aliyev's leadership the contacts
between the civil societies of the Karabakh conflict parties were
actually banned, while they were somehow maintained even under the
leadership of his father who too was not reputed to be a pacifist.
It is while communication at the NGOs level, i.e. "public diplomacy",
is considered by international mediators, especially by the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs, as one of the most important conditions for creating
an atmosphere of confidence between the parties to the conflict,
which, in their opinion, can bring it to the final settlement.
It is no coincidence that the U.S. Embassy to Azerbaijan issued a
statement, in which it expressed its grave concern about Mirkadyrov's
arrest. As is known, especially in the recent times it is the
United States that promotes the idea of the so-called "second track"
supposing, along with the official negotiations in the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group, the conduct of the "public diplomacy". "Contacts
on the project of "public diplomacy" (Track II) contribute to the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and establishment
of trusting relationship", reads the statement of the U.S. Embassy
to Azerbaijan.
Let's remind that joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan assumed the
commitment on the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Alas, all the
activities of the Azerbaijani leadership on the Karabakh settlement
convincingly prove that it isn't interested in the establishment of
trusting relationship between the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples,
and consequently - in the conflict resolution and establishment
of peace. The story of the arrest of disloyal-to-the-authorities
Mirkadyrov, which can be attributed to the political genre of "witch
hunt", is another proof to this. There is no doubt that it will
freeze the public-level contacts between the conflicting parties
for a long period. Official Baku doesn't like at all the prospect
of an open dialogue between representatives of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani societies, as this dialogue directly contradicts the
state's anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan built on the hatred and
falsehood. From this perspective, Mirkadyrov's arrest can also be
regarded as an action of intimidation against those Azerbaijanis who,
contrary to the official position, were ready to cooperate with the
Armenian party on the public level. In other words, spy mania has
become another weapon in the arsenal of anti-Armenian means of the
Azerbaijani leadership.
Leonid MARTIROSSIAN
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1447: spy-mania&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Tuesday, 29 April 2014 09:45
"Witch hunt" started in Baku
Last week, an event took place in Azerbaijan, which, perhaps, cannot
be considered a purely domestic policy. On April 19, the special
services of Azerbaijanarrested prominent journalist of Mirror leading
Russian-language newspaper in this country Rauf Mirkadyrov that has
lived in Turkey for the last three years.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office, the journalist is
suspected that "to the detriment of the sovereignty, national security,
territorial integrity, and defensibility of the AzerbaijanRepublic,
he has been involved in secret cooperation by the special services
of Armenia since April 2008."
It is noted that he has repeatedly met with them in Armenia,
Georgia and Turkey, providing corresponding information about the
social-political and military situation in the country, as well
as information that was a state secret, along with photographs
and diagrams, in order to use them for hostile activities against
Azerbaijan. Under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, the crimes
incriminated to Mirkadyrov require penalty from 10 years of
imprisonment to life imprisonment.
It isn't accidental that we stated in the beginning of the article
that the arrest of Rauf Mirkadyrov is beyond Azerbaijan in its sound
public. And the matter is not at all that the journalist is accused of
spying for a foreign state, in this case for Armenia. Surely, one can,
as usual in such cases, say that the court will figure everything out.
It is possible, if it were not the court of Azerbaijan, which is not
trusted even by its own citizens. Otherwise, they would not talk openly
about the custom character of the arrest. In particular, the statement
of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, which is headed by famous
Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus, qualifies this fact
as "clear evidence of the rampant repression by the authoritarian
regime." There is no doubt that Mirkadyrov's deportation fromTurkey
and arrest were sanctioned by the top leadership of Azerbaijan.
Apparently, the journalist, who differed by his principled position
and sharp criticism against his own authorities on the domestic policy
issues, became a thorn in the eye of the authorities.
But, we'll focus on the external aspect of Rauf Mirkadyrov's activity.
It is known that within the "public diplomacy" the journalist was
actively involved in numerous projects implemented jointly with the
Armenian NGOs and to this end, he has repeatedly visited Armenia. And
it should be noted that in his publications about the Karabakh
conflict, while defending the interests of Azerbaijan, he stuck to
the civilized norms of discussion and did not fall to the marketplace
abuse against the Armenian side, which is usual for almost all the
Azerbaijani media replacing the absence of any compelling arguments
by vulgar insults. It is quite clear that Mirkadyrov's ethically
restrained position could not satisfy the leadership of Azerbaijan,
which, with Ilham Aliyev's coming to power, ceased any ties withArmenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. Under Ilham Aliyev's leadership the contacts
between the civil societies of the Karabakh conflict parties were
actually banned, while they were somehow maintained even under the
leadership of his father who too was not reputed to be a pacifist.
It is while communication at the NGOs level, i.e. "public diplomacy",
is considered by international mediators, especially by the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs, as one of the most important conditions for creating
an atmosphere of confidence between the parties to the conflict,
which, in their opinion, can bring it to the final settlement.
It is no coincidence that the U.S. Embassy to Azerbaijan issued a
statement, in which it expressed its grave concern about Mirkadyrov's
arrest. As is known, especially in the recent times it is the
United States that promotes the idea of the so-called "second track"
supposing, along with the official negotiations in the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group, the conduct of the "public diplomacy". "Contacts
on the project of "public diplomacy" (Track II) contribute to the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and establishment
of trusting relationship", reads the statement of the U.S. Embassy
to Azerbaijan.
Let's remind that joining the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan assumed the
commitment on the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Alas, all the
activities of the Azerbaijani leadership on the Karabakh settlement
convincingly prove that it isn't interested in the establishment of
trusting relationship between the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples,
and consequently - in the conflict resolution and establishment
of peace. The story of the arrest of disloyal-to-the-authorities
Mirkadyrov, which can be attributed to the political genre of "witch
hunt", is another proof to this. There is no doubt that it will
freeze the public-level contacts between the conflicting parties
for a long period. Official Baku doesn't like at all the prospect
of an open dialogue between representatives of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani societies, as this dialogue directly contradicts the
state's anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan built on the hatred and
falsehood. From this perspective, Mirkadyrov's arrest can also be
regarded as an action of intimidation against those Azerbaijanis who,
contrary to the official position, were ready to cooperate with the
Armenian party on the public level. In other words, spy mania has
become another weapon in the arsenal of anti-Armenian means of the
Azerbaijani leadership.
Leonid MARTIROSSIAN
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress