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AND IN OTHER NEWS: Azerbaijan Begins "Greenwashing" Through COP29

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AND IN OTHER NEWS: Azerbaijan Begins "Greenwashing" Through COP29

December has been a bit of a respite from the constant (mostly tragic) news of the past months, and has even seen a few bright spots, such as the release of 32 prisoners of war from Azerbaijan after (in some cases) three whole years of captivity. The price of that was removing Armenia’s objection to Azerbaijan hosting COP29 in 2024. This has already begun the campaign to  “greenwash” its reputation, and it appears unlikely to launch another assault on Armenia in the run-up to its turn in the international spotlight. However nothing is certain, and it hasn’t deterred Aliyev from his latest campaign of arresting even-less-impactful oppositional and activist figures. 

The announcement of the prisoner release was made on December 7, however days went by without further action, causing many to wonder what was going on. As it turns out, the release did go ahead on December 13 (though without Vicken Euljekian whose name had been on an initial list circulated in the Azerbaijani press). The reason for the delay was then explained that COP28 had to end first and Azerbaijan be officially granted the next hosting right by Armenia withdrawing its veto for the release to happen. Armenia also had to release two Azerbaijanis it had captured on Armenian territory earlier this year, one of whom had murdered the guard of an industrial plant. 

What will COP29 bring for Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the world? People have already pointed out, with COP28 held in the United Arab Emirates, this makes the second year in a row the climate change environmental conference will be held in an oil-producing autocratic nation, which one would think goes against the spirit of the conference. 

People are taking notice of this, and while Azerbaijan has good reason to see hosting COP29 as quite a coup, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be simple or all good publicity. Arguably, they will be getting much more scrutiny because of it than they would have otherwise, something no doubt its social media bot army will actively push against. 

More frustration over the appearance of Azerbaijan being “rewarded” with COP29 mere weeks after ethnically cleansing Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The past month also saw a significant worsening in relations between Azerbaijan and the United States. Just look at the tone the Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US uses to describe the representatives of a federal government entity tasked with protecting religious freedom, something Azerbaijan likes to claim it does, but which their recently issued report demonstrates is not the case. As Azerbaijani academic said in response: "I like how the state discourse in post-war Azerbaijan is now fully 'decolonized' and turned to fierce anti-Westernism, illiberalism and pan-Turanist fantasy." 

While Azerbaijan tries to eagerly promote itself as extremely tolerant, often using its military and energy-based ties with Israel and a small Azerbaijani-Jewish community to demonstrate, it issues equal amounts of propaganda to paint Armenia in the opposite light. For example the “false flag” synagogue arson operation allegedly carried out by a Russian citizen of undisclosed origin last month. Any positive mention of Armenia’s Jewish community on Twitter results in a deluge of Azerbaijani accounts claiming the reverse. Israel’s National Security Council is probably as good a source as any on this matter, and despite all the propaganda, they have declared Armenia in the category of safest for Jews, something Azerbaijan is not. Whatever else Azerbaijan continues to claim on the matter is just noise. 

Azerbaijan’s attempts to taint Armenia’s minority rights reputation has led to a bigger focus on what it is like for minority groups in Armenia and who they are. This tweet thread gives a thorough analysis on Armenian diversity: who they are, what they are like, and how they are treated. Besides the traditional minority groups such as Molokans, Pontic Greeks, Assyrians, and Yazidi, Armenia has become more diverse in recent years not just by the influx of Russians but a still under-the-radar but increasing number of Indians, already totaling in the tens of thousands. 

While some might not consider Artsakh Armenians to be adding to Armenia’s diversity since they are Armenian, they most certainly have their own traditions, culture, and dialect too. Getting them integrated into society here and able to support themselves is a major challenge, one which likely isn’t getting enough attention, as this tweet thread analyzes.  

Still not in Armenia are the former presidents of Artsakh and other officials, including Ruben Vardanyan. The renowned risk analyst and author Nassim Nicholas Taleb tweeted a call for his release after a trip to Yerevan, during which the Armenian language version of some of his work was published. 

Some have said Azerbaijan’s success in the 2020 war emboldened Russia to invade Ukraine, and now it seems the 2023 ethnic cleansing operation has similarly encouraged the president of Serbia to do the same with Kosovo. There are also undeniable parallels in Israel’s encouraging of a “population transfer” of Gazans into Egypt’s Sinai peninsula as a “final solution” (yes, that phrase was actually utilized) to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, at least as it regards Gaza. 

We don’t see much from Nagorno-Karabakh, but when we do, it appears Azerbaijan is simultaneously appropriating and destroying private property as it claims Armenians are “welcome to return”, if they take Azerbaijani citizenship. 

Azerbaijani officials and their propagandists were in town for a football match at Stepanakert’s stadium, during which President Ilham Aliyev gave yet another fiery speech in celebration at the ethnic cleansing of Armenians.  

A double-refugee’s wish for the new year. 

Caucasus Heritage Watch continues to do its vital work which is very worthy of support. 

As negotiations continue which could reshape the region, a pictorial reminder of how Armenia really is a regional crossroads. 

As if the destruction of the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh wasn’t enough this year, the one in Jerusalem has also come under assault- not just existentially but physically. Check out CivilNet’s special report on the situation. 

“The Mayor of the Internet” Alexis Ohanian posted this thread in memory of his grandfather, born to refugees from Kharpert in New York, who passed away just short of his 102nd birthday. 

Meanwhile Estonia announced that it will be moving forward with officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915, something to watch. 

And finally… How many of these “Amazing Armenian” questions can you answer, as seen on the hit American TV show Jeopardy!?

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