The week of February 7-11 saw the hand over of eight servicemen to Armenia, European Commission official visit to Azerbaijan and the appeal of Tofig Yagublu for having his case considered.
Azerbaijan hands over eight servicemen to Armenia
Azerbaijan has handed over eight servicemen to Armenia on February 7. The process was mediated by the European Union and France.
On February 4, a meeting took place with the participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the European Union Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nicole Pashinyan. There, the transfer of the servicemen was arranged.
This is the second hand over of military personnel in the last months. Earlier, on December 19, ten soldiers where transferred to Armenia, also in a process mediated by the European Union.
European Commissioners visit Baku
Two European Commissioners held an official visit to Baku on February 4. The main purpose of the trip was a meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Board.
Commenting on the event for Meydan TV, Anar Mammadli, a human rights activist, expert on elections and public administration, said that he believes the main focus of the visit was the establishment of new dynamics in energy cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan.
With the European media discussing to which extent EU countries are dependent on natural gas from Russia, Azerbaijan starts to be seen as an alternative for gas supply to the continent. The visit was flagged as laying foundation in the case Azerbaijani gas is needed.
Tofiq Yagublu appeals for the opening of a criminal case
Political activist Tofiq Yagublu appealed to the court against the decision of the Sabail District Prosecutor’s Office, which refused to initiate criminal proceedings on his torture complaint.
His lawyer believes that the decision is illegal, unfounded and should be annulled since main evidence of the case, such as pictures, was not even analyzed. He added that the destruction of Yagublu’s camera footage decreased the chances that the case will be objectively investigated.
Tofig Yagublu was detained by police in Fountain Square on December 1 during a protest rally in Baku. He was found in the evening. Yagublu affirmed that he was taken away and tortured by police, publishing pictures on social media showing him very hurt. However, the Prosecutor’s Office did not open an investigation on his case with the allegations that he injured himself on purpose.
