Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan warned against the current government's flippant attitude toward possible harsh responses from Moscow. He believes the authorities fail to grasp the scale of the potential impact Russia could have, including tariff revisions and export blockages.
An Azerbaijani court has remanded lawyer and human rights activist Namizad Safarov in custody for four months on fraud charges. He is accused of embezzling 53,000 manats (approximately $31,000).
According to the prosecution, Safarov, posing as a lawyer, promised to reinstate a dismissed citizen, but failed to fulfill the agreement, after which a complaint was filed with the police.
Safarov, known for his human rights activities, was arrested on December 9. The "People's Parliament of Azerbaijan," an association of Azerbaijani political émigrés, condemned the arrest and called the case against him political persecution.
Namizad Safarov was expelled from the Azerbaijan Bar Association in 2005. He attributed the decision to his criticism of the organization's leadership.