How not to prepare for an election

THE Azerbaijani opposition’s inability to wrest power from the all-powerful regime of Ilham Aliev (pictured) seems to have driven it into drug dependency. In the year between May 2012 and May 2013, the government charged six prominent critics with possession of narcotics. But police only found the drugs after arresting the suspects, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW). They were far more interested in the defendants’ political activities than in any recreational highs. Drugs tests came back negative. The drugs busts are another example of how trumping-up charges—for drugs or weapons possession, hooliganism, incitement or even treason—is a favoured Azerbaijani tactic to silence government critics.

The government is intensifying its crackdown in the run-up to the presidential elections on October 9th, HRW contends. Take the treatment of critical journalists. In 2012 the government released several journalists from prison. But since the beginning of this year it has arrested at least six more. It uses threats, smear campaigns and violent attacks...Continue reading