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Friday Wrap-up: oil and gas, young detainees and Hajiyev’s prison term

Illustration: Meydan TV.

The week of February 20-24 saw a difference between oil and gas profits, young activists detained for protesting, and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’s term being extended.

Can Azerbaijan sell gas domestically at a higher price than abroad?

According to the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which released its monthly report this week, January’s profit in the selling of oil in the country increased by 8.5%, compared to the same period last year.

However, economist Gubad Ibadoglu explains that SOFAZ limits the disclosure of public information every year and did not publish the information on the revenues obtained from the Shah Deniz field (gas and condensate) in January 2023. According to him, it has decreased.

For compensating the losses, the Azerbaijani authorities, which sell gas to Europe for political purposes, will try to increase the price of gas in the domestic market in order to compensate for the losses there.

It was not possible to get information from SOFAZ about how much income will be obtained from the Shah Deniz field in January 2023. 

Two young detainees in a protest are still missing

The whereabouts of two of the young people who demanded freedom for Bakhtiyar remain unknown: Afieddin Mammadov and Samir Sultanov. They are two of the five social activists detained in front of the Baku Court of Appeal for demanding the freedom of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. 

Lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova told that she was looking for them, but could not discover where they were taken to. She received misleading and contradictory information from the authorities.

“When they contacted the ministry, they said that they were not released. I also went to Yasamal District Police Station and learned from there that the children are not there either.  Thus, I could not find out where Afieddin or Samir have been detained and why they were detained,” the lawyer said.

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’s prison term was extended for another two months

Social activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who has been on a hunger strike in prison since January 9, has been remanded in custody for another two months for the investigation period. The Khatai District Court issued a decision on this on February 23.

The lawyer Shahla Humbatova, who informed Meydan TV about the closed court proceedings, said that the investigator justified the extension of the detention period by the fact that the investigation had not been completed. She said that the investigation is still ongoing. For example, an examination was conducted today, but its result is not yet known.

Hajiyev’s imprisonment has caused commotion among Azerbaijani activists and also in the international community. This week, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed on her Twitter account her support for Hajiyev: “I also join the call of people and organizations who express concern about Azerbaijani activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev.”

Ana səhifəNewsFriday Wrap-up: oil and gas, young detainees and Hajiyev’s prison term