Three members of one organization arrested in Azerbaijan in half a month, fourth speaks of persecution
Persecution of Workers’ Table activists
Since the beginning of August three members of the same trade union organization have been arrested in Azerbaijan, and a fourth has reported police persecution.
Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions “Table of Workers” Afiyeddin Mammadov was fined 500 manats on charges of disobeying the demand of a representative of the authorities, and received an administrative arrest for 30 days on charges of petty hooliganism.
A criminal case was initiated against two members of the confederation – Elvin Mustafayev and Aykhan Israfilov under Article 234.4.3 (large-scale drug trafficking) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, and both were subject to preventive measures in the form of arrest for 4 months.
All three activists denied the accusations against them. They feel they are being punished for their activism.
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On the night of August 12-13, another member of the Workers’ Table, Orkhan Zeynalov, announced that he was being persecuted by the police. According to him, a case has been opened against him for non-repayment of a bank loan.
“This story is many years old, and the bank had no claims against me, but the law enforcement officers suddenly remembered this and told me that they could arrest me for it,” Zeynalov said in a video message.
He also noted that he was forced to hide from the police, as he was afraid that they would also plant drugs on him, like other activists, and he would be arrested.
All three members of the “Table of Workers” – Elvin Mustafayev, Aykhan Israfilov and Orkhan Zeynalov – worked as couriers in Wolt Azerbaijan.
The persecution of activists began after a protest of couriers held on August 1. The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the seizure of their scooters after innovations in the rules of the road.
Following changes to the law, the police are requiring category A driver’s licenses from couriers under the pretext that moped engines are over 50 cc. see This rule came into force on December 16, 2022 due to changes in the law “On Road Traffic”.
“These guys crossed the red line of the authorities”
Politician Azer Gasimly believes that these young people are being arrested for crossing a red line of the authorities.
“Until now, I do not remember the creation of trade union-type organizations. There was an attempt to do this in the 90s, but there have been no such attempts since the early 2000s. I applaud this attempt by these young activists and their professional approach to the issue. Despite the desire of the Azerbaijani government to turn the country into Turkmenistan or North Korea, Azerbaijani society shows that it still has resources and that its intellectual potential has not been fully exhausted.
The authorities have certain red lines for politicians, the media, social activists, organizations and civil society. They allow you to work without crossing these lines. These guys have crossed a red line. They decided to rally and work with different groups in society. They wanted to work with the socially lower strata of society, defend their rights, represent them, be an alternative to the “trade unions” created by the government, and thus crossed the red line of the government,” he told Abzas Media.
Activity of Wolt Azerbaijan suspended
Amid arrests and harassment, on August 14, the Food Safety Agency decided to suspend the activities of Wolt Azerbaijan LLC. The agency explained that the company operated without food safety registration.
“During the delivery of food to consumers, it was found that the hot and cold chains were not protected, the products were transported in violation of the temperature regime and the rules for the neighborhood of products, disinfection work was not carried out in these vehicles, and the persons involved in the delivery of food did not pass medical examination,” the agency said in a statement.
“Maybe the agency is laying out the red carpet for a new company”
Economist Elchin Rashid believes that the agency’s decision is in the nature of blackmail against some private companies and will leave people without work. According to him, the agency’s statement clearly shows the incompetence of this structure:
“They wrote that the rules of the hot and cold chain were violated. Wolt is a transport company, not a food preparation company. They transport food in special boxes. The agency cannot intervene in this because it does not create a food safety problem.
Recently, we saw a similar illiterate speech by the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, regarding the passenger transportation sector. Later it turned out that a new company was entering the market, and other companies were raising prices in a cartel way. It turned out that the ministry was creating special conditions on the market for this new company, and was busy laying out the red carpet in front of it.
Here, too, we can expect the agency to spread the red carpet for some new company that will soon enter this market,” he told Abzas Media.
The expert drew attention to the fact that the cessation of Wolt Azerbaijan would also harm consumers:
“Just as the statement of the Minister of Digital Development and Communications at that time was against the country’s economy, so this statement of the Food Safety Agency is also against the country’s economy. Here, too, other goals can be expected. Within the company, the workers were well organized and demanded their rights. Of course, now they are being punished by those who do not want to respect their rights.”
