A website launched from Europe published an article with cursed language and hatred, calling out Arzu Geybullayeva, a journalist critical of the war recently erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Penning articles against Azerbaijani authorities and accusing them of corruption and undemocratic practices, Ms. Geybullayeva was attacked this time by those who also complained and sought asylum from the Azerbaijani government.
Mostly based in Europe due to their alleged activism against the government of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, founders of the website, along with nationalist social media activists, denounced Geybullayeva as a traitor. For them, the journalist who spoke against the war actually sided with Armenians and behaved like a traitor for not being patriotic and calling for a military solution to the conflict. Most of the editorial board of the Azlogos website are self-styled Azeri emigres living in Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany. They are said to have been involved in various projects funded by international human rights organizations to promote peace and democracy. Some of them visited Armenia in the framework of those activities.
Several activists criticized the activities of western NGOs in Azerbaijan, claiming their funding of preferred partner organizations and individuals did not lead to the improvement of the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. Azlogos, which claims to be an intellectual platform for Azeris living abroad, published a photo of Ms. Geybullayeva from her Instagram account, verbally abusing her and using derogatory language in its article. Though offering free discussion for intellectuals, an activist from the Talysh minority of Azerbaijan complained that the website had taken down his article calling for the protection of their rights. Azeri activists who stood for pacifism and denounced the war also came under fire.
They as well were attacked mostly by those who claimed to be opposition to the Azerbaijani authorities. In an unusual turn, they turned out to be harsher critics of the so-called ‘no-war people’ than traditional supporters of the government. In the past, many of them have criticized the Azeri government for being intolerant to different views and dissent.
Bizarrely enough, a considerable part of social media activists who were more vocal in their support for war and the government and berating no-war activists are based in Europe and the US. They also say that they have left Azerbaijan because of government repressions. Qiyas Ibrahimov, a leftist activist, was summoned by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan for his anti-war Facebook posts. Azeri security officials, who came after him, promised safety, then released Qiyas after interrogating. But foreign-based social media users, who declare themselves also dissidents, called for severe punishment for Ibrahimov for his comments against the war.
Feminist activists Nurlana Jalil and Narmin Shahmarzadeh also received threats and were verbally abused and tainted in social media for supporting no-war views. Both based in Azerbaijan, they were vehemently attacked by social media users from abroad.”
