Category: Azer News

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Russia bears responsibility for the torture, inhuman treatment, and killing of three Georgian prisoners of war during the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War, including Giorgi Antsukhelidze, who is widely regarded as a symbol of the conflict, AzerNEWS reports.

The judgment was announced on Tuesday in a case brought before the court by the families of the victims, represented by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association.

According to the ruling, the Georgian servicemen were captured during the hostilities, taken to a building in Tskhinvali, where they were beaten and interrogated in a bunker, and later subjected to further abuse in the city’s central square by a crowd composed largely of civilians.

The court found that one of the prisoners, Ushangi Sopromadze, aged 25, was likely executed by South Ossetian and Russian forces after being taken captive.

The ruling also examined the case of Antsukhelidze, who was 23 years old at the time of his capture. According to evidence reviewed by the court, including video footage, he was shown bound, covered in blood, and subjected to physical abuse while in captivity. His remains were identified through DNA testing in December 2008, and his family was informed of his death the following month.

The ECHR concluded that Russia was responsible for multiple violations of the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to the treatment and deaths of the Georgian prisoners. The judgment marks another significant legal ruling related to the consequences of the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on measures to reorganize the activities of a number of public legal entities established on behalf of the state, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the decree, the State Reserves Agency, the Cinema Agency under the Ministry of Culture, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Center under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Azerbaijan Science Foundation, the Mine Action Agency, the Azerbaijan State Information Agency (AZERTAG), the Center for Legal Expertise and Legislative Initiatives, and the Institute of Law and Human Rights under it were removed from the status of public legal entities and transferred to the status of budgetary organizations.

Besides, the decree requires the Ministry of Economy to ensure the reorganization of the following public legal entities within two months: the Restoration, Construction and Management Service in Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districts, the Restoration, Construction and Management Service in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavand districts, the Restoration, Construction and Management Service in Lachin district, the Restoration, Construction and Management Service in Khankendi city, Aghdara and Khojaly districts, and the Restoration, Construction and Management Service in Kalbajar district by transforming them into LLCs; to take measures in accordance with the law “On state registration and state register of legal entities” within 3 days after the approval of their charter for the state registration of companies; to take appropriate measures to transfer the relevant property to their balance within one month from the date of state registration of companies; and to take necessary measures to resolve other issues arising from the decree.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers must ensure the establishment of the Magsud Ibrahimbayov Creative Center and Marionette Theater as a budgetary organization under the Ministry of Culture on the basis of the “Magsud Ibrahimbeyov Creative Center” and Marionette Theater, which are part of the structure of the “Icherisheher” State Historical and Architectural Reserve Department, and the establishment of an LLC under the “Shusha City State Reserve Department” and the implementation of functions in the areas of management of apartment buildings and individual residential houses built in the territory of Shusha city and Shusha district, as well as improvement, landscaping, lighting and housing and communal services in that area through that society.

The Ministry of Finance must ensure the financing of the activities of new institutions within the funds provided for in the state budget of the current year, and in accordance with the decree of the President of the country “On additional measures related to the organization of efficient management of state finances” dated August 25, 2025, conduct a financial examination of the structure, staff units and salary systems of the newly created institutions and take measures to optimize them.

In the grand architecture of national socio-economic stability, a robust insurance ecosystem stands as a cornerstone. For developing and transitional economies, the evolution of this sector serves as a direct barometer of institutional maturity and investor confidence. Within this context, the strategic blueprint recently unveiled by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CBA) at the 11th Azerbaijan International Insurance Forum marks a pivotal milestone. Under continuous structural reforms, Azerbaijan is systematically reshaping its financial services framework. The upcoming initiatives outlined by the CBA signify a deliberate shift away from legacy operational formats toward a modern, resilient, and inclusive marketplace that mirrors international benchmarks.

The growth trajectory of Azerbaijan’s insurance sector over the last two years provides clear quantitative evidence that structural reforms yield positive momentum. A 23% surge in gross written premiums, pushing total market volume to 1.5 billion AZN, alongside an impressive 57% increase in insurance payouts reaching 0.9 billion AZN, indicates a profound behavioral shifts. These numbers demonstrate a fundamental expansion of trust. Consumers are recognizing the sector’s utility, and corporations are properly integrating risk transfer mechanisms into their financial planning. Crucially, with aggregate assets climbing 18% to 2.1 billion AZN and a market capitalization nearly double the mandatory regulatory threshold, the industry demonstrates the strong capital cushion necessary to absorb macroeconomic shocks.

Building upon this financial foundation, the CBA’s upcoming initiatives focus heavily on qualitative refinement. A key priority is the structural overhaul of Voluntary Motor Insurance (Casco) and Compulsory Real Estate Insurance. By aligning Casco parameters with sophisticated international protocols, the regulatory authority aims to eliminate friction points in claims processing, cultivate absolute transparency, and maximize customer satisfaction. Concurrently, re-engineering property insurance to build resilience against catastrophic risks highlights a progressive understanding of climate-related and environmental vulnerabilities. In an era where systemic volatility is rising globally, building proactive risk-modeling directly into domestic real estate assets safeguards both private wealth and state infrastructure.

Furthermore, the integration of specialized micro-insurance and credit protection mechanisms exemplifies a socially conscious regulatory approach. The upcoming rollout of credit insurance designed to cover involuntary unemployment addresses a critical gap in the retail financial ecosystem. By shielding borrowers from default risks arising from sudden job losses, this instrument protects citizens’ financial health while reducing the volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) within the banking sector. This synergy between credit institutions and insurance underwriters highlights a holistic perspective on national financial stability. Similarly, modernizing agricultural insurance via upgraded legal and institutional frameworks ensures that Azerbaijan’s rural economy remains protected against unpredictable yield fluctuations, maximizing the impact of state-backed agrarian subsidies.

The ultimate vision of this regulatory transformation is embedded in the CBA’s forward-looking shift toward a “proactive supervision model.” Moving beyond traditional reactive compliance allows the regulator to anticipate vulnerabilities before they manifest as market disruptions. This forward-looking stance is further validated by an openness to financial innovation, specifically through the proposed introduction of Takaful (Islamic insurance). Embracing alternative financial instruments allows Azerbaijan to tap into previously unserved demographic segments, diversify the investment landscape, and enhance the country’s attractiveness as a regional hub for alternative capital.

Ultimately, Azerbaijan’s insurance market is transitioning from an auxiliary financial sector into a core driver of sustainable economic development. By balancing aggressive digitalization with robust consumer protection laws, the Central Bank is successfully building a sophisticated environment where market efficiency coexists with social responsibility. These strategic directives do more than merely upgrade institutional frameworks; they cultivate a pervasive culture of risk awareness across Azerbaijani society. As these forward-thinking projects roll out, they will undoubtedly establish an enduring foundation for economic resilience, ensuring that the country’s financial ecosystem remains competitive, inclusive, and fully prepared for future global developments.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the State Department is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela” following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country, AzerNEWS reports.

Rubio said the aid was being sent at the direction of US President Donald Trump and expressed solidarity with Venezuelans affected by the disaster.

“Our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones, those injured, and the courageous rescue workers working tirelessly in the aftermath,” Rubio said in a statement.

His comments come after Acting President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed at least 32 people were killed and more than 700 injured in the earthquakes, both measuring above magnitude 7.

There is a familiar Washington ritual playing out on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that would once have seemed unremarkable. Armenian-American activists in T-shirts bearing the faces of prisoners held in Baku, bipartisan Congressional amendments demanding the enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, and Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, the country’s most powerful Armenian lobbying group, warning at a press conference that the current peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan is “a consolidation of ethnic cleansing and preparation for a new war.” The thing that adds a new dimension to the process is that the very Armenian government approved this agreement, and the prime minister of the country, recently confirmed in power by his resounding victory in elections, described it as a first step “towards eternity and development of the Armenian nation.” The diaspora and the homeland used to discuss the future of Armenians. But now they no longer talk about the same future.

ANCA describes itself as the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots lobby group in the US, an assertion which, judging by its legislative and media clout, is definitely true. ANCA’s lobby network has managed to keep Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act alive for over thirty years, which is a provision prohibiting US military assistance to Azerbaijan that has no equivalent in sanctions legislation anywhere in America against a post-Soviet nation. Moreover, ANCA managed to win several Congressional resolutions and affect foreign aid funding as well as keep the bipartisan support of the Armenian Caucus for seven presidential administrations.

The problem is that success in Washington and success for Armenia have, since August 2025, been increasingly different things. The Washington Summit that ANCA characterized as “dangerous” and as a “sidelining of justice” was also the Summit where Pashinyan, elected and re-elected twice and most recently backed by 49.81% of the Armenian electorate last week, signed the joint declaration along with President Ilham Aliyev and POTUS Donald Trump, effectively terminating the institutionalized conflict of Karabakh. On the same day, Trump issued the waiver of Section 907, paving the way for American military aid to Azerbaijan. This move was termed as “reckless” by ANCA. As per Secretary of State Rubio, an Armenia-Azerbaijan war will be “destructive, counterproductive and the last thing we need.”

Four consecutive US administrations have waived Section 907 despite sustained ANCA pressure. The Trump administration waived it to unlock the peace process. A Section 907 amendment was narrowly defeated in the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a 26-24 vote, with unprecedented unanimous Democratic support, but was defeated nonetheless. The leverage ANCA has been building for 30 years has not, so far, secured a single Armenian prisoner’s release from Baku. Pashinyan’s diplomacy, by contrast, produced the release of four Armenians in January 2026. The comparison is uncomfortable for an organisation whose authority rests on the claim that its Washington strategy serves Armenian interests. Better yet, the appeal court hearing continues for Armenian citizens in Baku, despite all the atrocities that have been committed over the years.

But whose side is the diaspora on?

The rift between ANCA and Yerevan has been made apparent in the case of Samvel Karapetyan, the Russian-Armenian billionaire who financed anti-Pashinyan political activity, details of which were revealed in the Dossier Centre material leak before the June 7th Armenian election. At the time when Karapetyan was being held in Yerevan after being accused because of his financial backing of church figures opposing Pashinyan’s rule, Hamparian went public defending him as “one of Armenia’s major philanthropists, employers and taxpayers.” The Dossier Centre documents show how Karapetyan was connected with FSB databases, Gazprom real estate deals involving Putin’s rumored girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, and the anti-Pashinyan political campaign before the elections. ANCA’s support of Karapetyan has put it, either consciously or unconsciously, at odds with the Russian-backed political operation, which was voted against by two-thirds of Armenians.

This is precisely the ecosystem that the critics of ANCA, including those within the community of Armenian-Americans itself, find most disturbing. The Mitrokhin Archive, based on KGB records smuggled out of Russia in 1992, provides evidence of Soviet manipulation of the Armenian diaspora networks as conduits for intelligence gathering and politicking. This is not proof of any direct link between the Soviet-era practices and today’s democratically run organisation called ANCA, which operates openly and in accordance with the rules of the American political game. However, the historical precedent of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian intelligence working with the Armenian diaspora network as its field of influence is important for understanding the claims of Russian money, diaspora manipulation, and anti-normalisation efforts made in recent years, starting in August 2025.

Now the harder question

But the much more difficult question, difficult because it has not been demonstrated that ANCA is affected by outside influence, is whether an organisation whose members and funding come primarily from the US, and whose leaders are based in Washington, has the right to overrule the wishes of Armenians who live in Armenia. Diasporic lobbying is a legitimate part of democracy. Armenian Americans can pay taxes, vote, and lobby for whatever they want in Congress.

In question here are the views put forward by ANCA that its positions reflect those of the Armenian people, despite being consistently at odds with the positions held by Armenia’s elected government, its duly re-elected Prime Minister, and, as demonstrated by last week’s election, with the majority of the Armenian people. The Armenian people, having been asked to choose between Pashinyan’s peaceful approach and their opponents’, opted for the former in a ratio of two to one. While many of these individuals left the country during the war, and some recognize the difficulty of living in an isolated place like Armenia, there is a substantial group that, despite their comfortable lives in developed countries like the United States, uses rhetoric that impacts the lives of those residing in Armenia. They seem unaware that we are on the brink of a new era, where linking peace and war in this way may represent one of the greatest obstacles imaginable.

ANCA has its foundation, as it seems, but whether it is the right platform for such a campaign or whether its insistence on the Washington pressure model has, at this particular point in time, become an obstacle to bilateral talks that would secure their release is a question yet to be answered.

A video dedicated to the Azerbaijani Army was shared on the social media accounts of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, AzerNEWS reports.

The post states: “Long live Azerbaijan! Long live the Azerbaijani Armed Forces! Love to the mighty Azerbaijani Army!”

Hospitals across parts of the United Kingdom have been forced to cancel or postpone operations due to extreme heat and insufficient air conditioning, as record June temperatures place significant strain on the healthcare system, AzerNEWS reports, citing Financial Times.

Air temperatures in some areas of southern England have risen to nearly 36°C, marking one of the highest June readings on record. The intense heat has prompted several medical institutions to declare emergency conditions as operating theatres and other clinical areas become unsafe for routine procedures.

Among the affected facilities are East Surrey Hospital, the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in Wales, and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. These hospitals reported operational disruptions caused by overheating in critical departments and inadequate cooling capacity to maintain safe working conditions for patients and staff.

As a result, certain operating theatres, diagnostic units, and other medical zones were deemed unsuitable for clinical activity, leading to the postponement of planned surgeries.

According to Financial Times, citing calculations by researchers at the University of Birmingham, between 1,400 and 4,000 surgical procedures may have been at risk of cancellation over the course of four of the hottest days of the week.

Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world – but particularly in Europe. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar on the occasion of the country’s national holiday – Statehood Day.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

“Dear Madam President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Slovenia – Statehood Day.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to develop the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Slovenia – which this year mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations – as well as to expand our mutually beneficial cooperation both on a bilateral and multilateral basis.

On this festive occasion, I extend my best regards to you and wish the friendly people of Slovenia lasting prosperity and well-being”.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held talks with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in Gdansk on the sidelines of the Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Poland’s Foreign Ministry, the discussions focused on the prospects for developing pragmatic Poland-Azerbaijan relations, as well as ongoing work on draft agreements between the two countries.

The ministers also exchanged views on support for Ukraine and discussed the situation in the South Caucasus, regional developments, and Azerbaijan’s assessment of the ongoing processes in the region.

The meeting took place as part of broader diplomatic engagements surrounding international efforts to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Ministers also exchanged views on broader regional security situation of mutual interest.

The conference held on Capitol Hill under the title “The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches” reflects a broader effort to internationalise the issue of the displacement of Azerbaijanis from present-day Armenia and to frame it within the language of human rights and international law. Organized by the Baku Initiative Group, the event was presented not simply as a political gathering, but as an attempt to draw attention to a long-neglected humanitarian question. It is about the fate, rights, and historical memory of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were forced to leave their homes.

At the heart of the conference was the argument that the suffering of displaced Azerbaijanis has not received the same degree of international recognition as comparable cases elsewhere. This claim is politically significant because it challenges what participants described as a selective approach in global human rights discourse. By holding the event in Washington, D.C., in a venue associated with the U.S. Congress, organisers sought to give the issue symbolic legitimacy and place it before an international policy audience. In that sense, the conference was not only about historical grievance, but also about contesting narratives and influencing future diplomatic and legal discussions.

Speakers emphasised the importance of ensuring international attention remains focused on what they described as the fundamental right of displaced people to return to their ancestral lands in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. Participants cited the case of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who they said were forcibly displaced from territories in present-day Armenia as a result of policies of ethnic cleansing.

They also called for a legal assessment under international law of the systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious, and historical heritage remaining in Armenia, including place names, mosques, cemeteries, shrines, and other monuments, as well as for these violations to be investigated and documented on-site by international organisations. It should be noted that more than 2,000 place names of Azerbaijani origin were changed.

The adoption of an appeal to members of the U.S. Congress at the conclusion of the event signals an effort to transform moral argument into political engagement. The document’s emphasis on consistent standards, non-discrimination, restoration of rights, and protection of heritage suggests a deliberate attempt to align the cause of Western Azerbaijanis with universally accepted principles.

The document calls for international support for the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return safely, voluntarily, and with dignity to their native lands, as well as for the restoration of their property rights and the protection of their cultural heritage.

From a legal perspective, the invocation of the 1951 Geneva Convention highlights the importance of established international frameworks in addressing displacement. While the Convention affirms the protection of refugees and their rights, the practical implementation of return often depends on political agreements, security conditions, and bilateral negotiations. In protracted conflicts, legal principles alone are often insufficient without accompanying political resolution mechanisms.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large-scale displacement of Azerbaijanis from Armenia took place amid escalating political tensions. As a result of what is described as a systematic ethnic policy implemented between 1988 and 1992, approximately 250,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly expelled from their homes in Armenia.

The last and most tragic in scale and methods, the deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia was carried out in 1987-1991. Unlike the 1948-1953 deportation, it coincided in time with the beginning of Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and therefore was marked by particular harshness. The hopelessness of the situation for Azerbaijanis was linked to the fact that the deportation was carried out with the direct involvement of the administrative and law enforcement bodies of Armenia, which attempted to justify their unlawful actions by the “historical belonging of these lands to Armenians,” on which Azerbaijanis lived.

The majority of Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia were villagers who were forced to leave their native lands – pastures, fields, orchards, and meadows, where their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers had worked for centuries.

Ultimately, the significance of the conference lies in its attempt to reframe the displacement of Azerbaijanis from Armenia as an unresolved international human rights issue rather than a closed historical chapter. Its message was that the right of return, protection of cultural heritage, and restoration of property and cultural rights. That shift alone marks an important development in the broader struggle over memory, justice, and rights in the South Caucasus.