Politics
Sevinj Vagifgizi honored as anti-corruption champion
Anthony Blinken: “She returned knowing that she might be arrested on arrival.”
The U.S. Department of State awarded Sevinj Vagifgizi, the editor-in-chief of AbzasMedia, with the “Champions of Combating Corruption” award.
Sevinj is known for her work on corruption investigations, and she is currently imprisoned.
In his speech, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted Sevinj’s devotion over the past decade in exposing government abuses.
“She is also the one awardee who is not with us this afternoon. In November 2023, Sevinj flew home from an overseas country amid a crackdown on Azerbaijani independent media. She returned knowing that she might be arrested on arrival. She was. Now, more than a year later, she remains in detention. Prior to her arrest Sevinj wrote and I quote, ‘I don’t feel fear anymore. I know what they can do. It does not stop me. It is more important to be useful to the people. People need us’”
-Antony Blinken
Blinken also expressed gratitude to the ten anti-corruption champions for their courage. He said it was an honor to partner with them in this fight. The Department of State created the “Champions of Combating Corruption” award in 2021 to recognize individuals who have made significant progress in fighting corruption and to show the U.S. government’s solidarity with them.
This year’s award recipients include journalists, human rights defenders, judges, and even government officials who have facilitated major institutional changes. Other awardees include Jorge Mora Cortes from Colombia, Matrika Daxal from Nepal, Altin Dumani from Albania, Srbukhy Galyan from Armenia, Carl Irani from Lebanon, Marr Nyang from Gambia, Javier Enrique Caraballo Salazar from Panama, Didar Smagulov from Kazakhstan, and Jimmy Spyre Ssentongo from Uganda. Blinken emphasized that each recipient made a difficult decision to help their own citizens and all the people around the world, and their dedication, along with those of others, we are in a better place now.
AbzasMedia, the organization behind Sevinj’s work, has also faced significant challenges. Six of its employees, including the general manager Ulvi Hasanlı, assistant Muhammad Kekalov, editor Sevinj Vagifgiz, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafız Babali, have been arrested. These individuals are facing charges of smuggling, with some detained since November 2023.
On May 31, 2024, journalist and economist Farid Mehralizade from the “Azadlig” radio station was arrested, and a search was conducted at his home. He was accused under Article 206.3.2 of the Penal Code, which concerns smuggling by a group of individuals who had previously made secret agreements. The Khatai District Court decided to detain him for security reasons. On the same day, AbzasMedia issued a statement declaring that Mehralizade had no connection to the media organization.
Following this, each of the detainees in the AbzasMedia case was faced with additional serious charges related to financial matters. Since November 2023, nearly 20 journalists and social activists have been arrested in Azerbaijan on smuggling charges. None of these individuals have been charged based on their professional activities or political affiliations.
According to local human rights organizations, there are currently around 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons. Authorities typically assert that no one has been detained solely for political reasons related to their professional activities. However, both local and international human rights organizations believe these arrests are politically motivated, and they are calling for the release of the detainees and the withdrawal of the charges against them.
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Politics
Normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia: Pashinyan praises Aliyev, meeting held in Yerevan
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he welcomes the statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on lifting restrictions on the transit of goods from Azerbaijan to Armenia.
According to Armenpress, Nikol Pashinyan made this statement during the 5th “Silk Road” forum held in Tbilisi.
“This is a very important statement, and I want to appreciate and welcome the Azerbaijani president’s step. An event that seemed incredible a few months ago is now happening: grain from Kazakhstan is being imported to Armenia via Azerbaijan and Georgia.”
President Ilham Aliyev stated on October 21 that Azerbaijan has lifted all existing restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia. The first transit shipment, a batch of Kazakh wheat, will be delivered to Armenia.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that politically, they are ready to ensure transit from Nakhchivan to the main part of Azerbaijan and vice versa via Armenia, but due to technical reasons, this is not possible because the infrastructure is lacking.
“From today, we are ready to facilitate the transit of trucks from Turkey to Azerbaijan through Armenian territory and vice versa,” Pashinyan added.
The normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, at a joint press conference in Baku with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahna, stated that there is progress in the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He highlighted the significance of the joint initiative regarding the initialing of the peace agreement in Washington and the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group:
“Since August 8, we have observed positive outcomes from this process. As the President noted in Washington, peace has already become a reality for us. Recent events confirm this. The Minsk Group is expected to be fully dissolved by December 1.”
The minister also noted that the second line of the Middle Corridor could turn Armenia into a transit country.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988.
In September 2020, after a long-term ceasefire, a 44-day Second Karabakh War took place between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan regained control over part of Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted a local military operation in Karabakh.
On October 15, President Ilham Aliyev raised the Azerbaijani flag in Stepanakert and stated that Azerbaijan had fully restored its sovereignty, that the Karabakh issue was resolved, and that the conflict had ended.
On August 8 of this year, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed a peace agreement in Washington.
Representatives of civil society from Azerbaijan and Armenia meet in Yerevan
On October 21, a plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) landed in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
Military expert Edalat Verdiyev shared this information on his Facebook account.
According to reports, the plane carried Azerbaijani experts traveling to Yerevan for a meeting with representatives of civil society from Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenpress reported on October 21 that civil society representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan would hold a bilateral roundtable discussion in Yerevan on October 21–22. Citing the press service of the Center for Security Policy Studies, the agency stated that the discussion would focus on the agenda formed during the August 8 meeting in Washington, measures to strengthen mutual trust between the two societies, potential paths for stable economic cooperation in the South Caucasus, and the prospects for establishing direct and long-term connections between civil society representatives of both countries.
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Politics
Azerbaijan has lifted all existing restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia.
Azerbaijan has lifted all existing restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia.
This was stated by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in a joint press statement with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in Astana.
According to him, the first such transit cargo was the transport of Kazakh grain to Armenia.
“I should also note that Azerbaijan has removed all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia that existed since the occupation, and the first such transit cargo was the transport of Kazakh grain to Armenia. I believe this is also a good indication that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is no longer just on paper, but also practical.”
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988.
In September 2020, after a long-term ceasefire, a 44-day Second Karabakh War took place between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan regained control over part of Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted a local military operation in Karabakh.
On October 15, President Ilham Aliyev raised the Azerbaijani flag in Stepanakert and stated that Azerbaijan had fully restored its sovereignty, that the Karabakh issue was resolved, and that the conflict had ended.
On August 8 of this year, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed a peace agreement in Washington.
The President also stated at the second meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Supreme Interstate Council that a period of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia has already begun.
“Today, a new phase begins; I would even say a new era begins – a period of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The initialing of a peace agreement less than two years after the last military clashes demonstrates a sufficiently high level of political will by both countries.”
He also noted that the role of U.S. President Donald Trump in normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia deserves the highest recognition.
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Politics
Russia revokes citizenship of Azerbaijani diaspora leader Islam Huseynov
Islam Huseynov, the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora and an advisor to the governor of Russia’s Ulyanovsk region, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship.
The official reason has not yet been announced, and Huseynov himself has declined to comment.
According to RBC sources, the decision was made on October 14 by the Ulyanovsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, based on a request from the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The 56-year-old Huseynov has lived in Ulyanovsk for 20 years and has led the Azerbaijani diaspora since 2005.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev awarded Huseynov the “Progress” Medal, while the Ulyanovsk regional government honored him with the “Friendship of Peoples” Medal.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have remained tense over the past 10 months. The tension began after the December 25, 2024 crash of an AZAL aircraft in Kazakhstan, which killed 38 of the 67 passengers. Baku blamed Moscow for the incident, demanding an apology and compensation. Russia, however, urged patience until the investigation’s results were released.
In June 2025, the deaths of Azerbaijani nationals in Yekaterinburg, allegedly as a result of torture, along with injuries to others, were described by Baku as “ethnic pressure.” Pressure on Azerbaijani businessmen in Russia further escalated tensions.
In response, Azerbaijan shut down “Sputnik Azerbaijan”, suspended the operations of the “Russian House”, and arrested several Russian citizens.
On October 9, during a meeting in Dushanbe, Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to President Ilham Aliyev over the crash and pledged to pay compensation. The next day, the head of “Sputnik Azerbaijan” was released from custody.
Huseynov had previously faced criminal charges in 2015, accused of large-scale fraud and money laundering related to the acquisition of a municipal land plot. Investigators alleged he purchased the land for 776,000 rubles, despite its market value being 6 million rubles, and began constructing a residential building instead of the promised hotel.
The court found him guilty of fraud but acquitted him on the money-laundering charge. He was sentenced to four years of probation and fined 1 million rubles. Huseynov pleaded not guilty.
There have been two assassination attempts against him: the first in 2009, when the attacker mistakenly injured a Ulyanovsk customs officer and his wife, and the second in 2012, during which Huseynov’s bodyguard was killed.
In 2022, Huseynov was appointed as an advisor to Governor Alexey Russkikh on a voluntary basis.
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