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Azerbaijan accused of ramping up repression of critics ahead of hosting UN climate summit

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Azerbaijan accused of ramping up repression of critics ahead of hosting UN climate summit

As representatives from nearly 200 countries, along with hundreds of journalists, arrived in Azerbaijan in November for the U.N. climate conference known this year as COP29, they bring with them a level of scrutiny the hosts aren’t accustomed to — and don’t often tolerate.

Azerbaijan has had a poor human rights record for many years and the government has regularly targeted journalists, activists and independent politicians. President Ilham Aliyev and his administration are accused by human rights organizations of spearheading an intensifying crackdown on freedom of speech ahead of the climate summit, including against climate activists and journalists.

Aliyev’s father, Haidar, ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 until he died in 2003 and Ilham took over. Both suppressed dissent as the country of almost 10 million people on the Caspian Sea basked in growing wealth from huge oil and natural gas reserves.

Elections since independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s haven’t been regarded as fully free or fair. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Azerbaijan’s most recent parliamentary elections in September took place in a “restrictive” environment. They were marked by turnout of 37% and no opposition party won any seats.

Human Rights Watch said the “vicious” crackdown against journalists and human rights activists has intensified over the last two years with phony criminal charges against critics and highly restrictive laws that make it hard for media and activists to work.

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Ahead of COP29, Azerbaijan’s authorities have extended the pretrial detention of at least 11 journalists from Azerbaijan’s remaining independent news outlets on currency smuggling charges related to alleged funding from Western donors.

Azerbaijani government officials did not respond to numerous requests from The Associated Press for an interview or comment on their actions.

A look at just five of Baku’s critics currently detained in Azerbaijan:

Ulvi Hasanli (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

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Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgizi

Hasalni and Vagifgizi are journalists and leaders of Abzas Media, an independent online outlet. Abzas Media has investigated reports of protests and pollution at a gold mine in western Azerbaijan, reconstruction in the Karabakh region and corruption allegations against high-ranking officials.

Hasanli and Vagifgizi, along with four colleagues, were arrested in November 2023. Azerbaijani officials allege they conspired to smuggle money into Azerbaijan and claim they found more than $40,000 in Hasanli’s home. The journalists deny the allegations and Hasanli said the money was planted.

“That is why they decided to eliminate Ulvi and his team … to make sure they would no longer be able to expose their wrongdoings,” Rubaba Guliyeva, Hasanli’s wife told The Associated Press.

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Sevinj Vagifgizi (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

Hasanli and Vagifgizi are imprisoned in Baku with no trial date. Guliyeva called conditions there “extremely bad” and said she had seen bruises on her husband and had been told that their meetings and phone calls are monitored. Hasanli is allowed brief visits with his 2-year-old daughter but struggles when she leaves, his wife said.

Vagifgizi’s mother Ophelya Maharramova said the prison has water shortages and that the water isn’t drinkable. Prisoners “suffer from hair loss and their teeth are rotting,” she said.

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Despite being imprisoned, Vagifgizi still asks what investigations Abzas Media is publishing, her mother said: “It’s what makes her feel motivated.”

Guliyeva said states should boycott COP29 because of Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record.

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Gubad Ibadoghlu (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

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Gubad Ibadoghlu

Ibadoghlu is an academic and economist at the London School of Economics who was detained in Azerbaijan in July 2023. He was moved to house arrest in April after spending months in prison.

He was accused by Azerbaijan of selling counterfeit money, but his children dispute the charges. They believe he was targeted because he investigated corruption in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas industry and because he is an opposition figure. Ibadoghlu’s sons say he also set up a charitable organization in the United Kingdom to work with the UK Home Office to try to transfer money confiscated by the National Crime Agency from rich Azerbaijanis to the charity to serve the people of Azerbaijan.

Ibadoghlu is also the chairman of the Azerbaijan Democracy and Prosperity Movement, which has been denied registration as a political party in Azerbaijan.

His son Emin Bayramov told AP his father was arrested by unidentified police officers who beat his mother when she questioned who they were. Ibadoghlu has heath issues including diabetes and his family say he is being denied medical care. Another son, Ibad Bayramov, told AP the International Committee of the Red Cross had tried to visit him four times but were not allowed to see him.

Ibadoghlu also has no trial date. His sons have accused Azerbaijan’s government of delaying it until after the climate summit to avoid negative publicity.

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Azerbaijan hosting COP29 while carrying out a crackdown on freedom of speech brings “shame on the international community,” Emin Bayramov said.

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Anar Mammadli (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

Anar Mammadli

Mammadli is a human rights and climate activist who was detained by masked men and driven away while he was on his way to pick up his child from nursery in April in Baku. He has also been accused of smuggling and of trying to unlawfully bring money into Azerbaijan. He denies the charges.

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He heads an election monitoring and democracy group that joined others to co-found the Climate of Justice Initiative in Azerbaijan. In an open letter, the groups criticized Azerbaijan as “one of the most problematic countries in Europe in terms of political and civil liberties.”

Azerbaijan, the groups said, has not implemented a systematic policy to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate emissions have continued to rise and oil production has polluted land, it said.

Human Rights Watch said Mammadli has been a key defender of human rights in Azerbaijan, highlighting violations of “fundamental freedoms.” He has called for freedom for political prisoners and an improved legal and political environment for human rights activists.

In a previous case, Mammadli was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison in 2014 on charges of tax evasion, illegal business and abuse of office. Amnesty International said the charges were trumped up, and he was awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize shortly after he was sentenced. He was pardoned in 2016.

Like the others, Mammadli is imprisoned awaiting a trial date.

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Akif Gurbanov (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

Akif Gurbanov

Gurbanov is chairman of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, an independent organization that seeks to develop a more open society through democratic initiatives such as training young journalists, human rights defenders and economists.

He was detained in March after police searched his home and raided the IDI’s office. Later police accused him and others of currency smuggling. At the same time, authorities raided the offices of the online news platform Toplum TV and the civil society organization Platform III Republic — both co-founded by Gurbanov.

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Toplum TV worked with the other organizations to train young journalists, Human Rights Watch said. Platform III Republic is an organization that promotes discussion about Azerbaijani politics, good governance and proposes development strategies for the country’s future.

Gurbanov’s wife, Ayan Musayeva, told AP that he was arrested for his work “defending human rights, providing alternative information, speaking the truth.”

States attending COP29 in Baku, she said, should be calling for his immediate release along with “all other political prisoners in Azerbaijan.”

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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UK imposes sanctions on Isabel dos Santos, Ukrainian oligarch Firtash

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UK imposes sanctions on Isabel dos Santos, Ukrainian oligarch Firtash

The measures are a part of the Labour government tightening Britain’s anti-corruption sanctions regime.

The United Kingdom has barred Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash and frozen their UK assets, the government announced, in what it said was part of a new crackdown on “dirty money”.

The measures on Thursday were the first step in tightening Britain’s anti-corruption sanctions regime as promised in July’s election, the Labour government said.

“These unscrupulous individuals selfishly deprive their fellow citizens of much-needed funding for education, healthcare and infrastructure – for their own enrichment,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.

Dos Santos, whose father Jose Eduardo dos Santos served as Angola’s president for 38 years until 2017, is Africa’s first female billionaire and has faced corruption accusations in Angola and elsewhere for years. She denies the allegations and says she is the target of a long-running political vendetta.

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She was sanctioned by the United States in 2021 for “involvement in significant corruption” and is barred from entering the country.

Britain said dos Santos abused her positions at Angolan state oil firm Sonangol and telecoms company Unitel to embezzle at least 350 million pounds ($440m).

Dos Santos lost an appeal to overturn an order freezing up to 580 million pounds of her assets in September as part of a lawsuit at London’s High Court brought by Unitel. Global police agency Interpol has issued a red notice for her.

In a statement cited by the Reuters news agency, dos Santos said that the British sanctions were “incorrect and unjustified”.

“I was not given the opportunity to defend myself against these allegations,” she said. “I intend to appeal and I hope that the United Kingdom will give me the opportunity to present my evidence.”

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Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraine’s most influential oligarchs, at a trial in Vienna, Austria [File: Samuel Kubani/AFP]

Firtash is wanted by Ukrainian and US authorities on suspicion of embezzling nearly $500m involving Ukraine’s gas transit system. He says the charges are without legal foundation.

He is currently in Austria fighting extradition to the US.

In June 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions on Firtash, including the freezing of his assets and withdrawal of licences from his companies, after accusing him of selling titanium products to Russian military companies.

Britain said Firtash had extracted “hundreds of millions of pounds from Ukraine through corruption”, and hidden tens of millions of pounds of ill-gotten gains in the UK property market alone.

Britain also sanctioned his wife Lada Firtash, who it said held UK assets on his behalf including the site of the old Brompton Road rail station of the London Underground.

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Latvian businessman and politician Aivars Lembergs, who was put on a US sanctions list in 2019 for alleged corruption, was also sanctioned, as was his daughter Liga Lemberga. The British government said Lembergs had “abused his political position to commit bribery and launder money.”

Lammy said the penalties were the start of a crackdown.

“I committed to taking on kleptocrats and the dirty money that empowers them when I became foreign secretary, and these sanctions mark the first step in delivering this ambition,” he said.

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‘A Complete Unknown’ First Reactions Praise ‘Shockingly Moving’ Bob Dylan Biopic: Timothée Chalamet’s Performance Is a ‘True Tour De Force’

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‘A Complete Unknown’ First Reactions Praise ‘Shockingly Moving’ Bob Dylan Biopic: Timothée Chalamet’s Performance Is a ‘True Tour De Force’

The first reactions to Timothée Chalamet‘s “A Complete Unknown” have started rolling in on social media ahead of the Bob Dylan biopic’s Christmas release date, with members of the press praising Chalamet, Monica Barbaro and more for their performances in the film.

“Timothée Chalamet slides into Bob Dylan with an effortless yet focused determination. Fearless in some hypnotic moments,” Variety‘s senior awards editor Clayton Davis wrote on X. “For me, it’s Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning that anchor the story of an illusive, mysterious man that remains in that sphere. James Mangold helms with confidence, with gorgeous sets and costumes. Much respect to one of the best to do it.”

Film critic Scott Menzel said Chalamet “delivers the performance of the year,” adding: “A true tour-de-force where Chalamet is never seen. Chalamet’s performance is not just about the voice and look but rather all of the little nuances and mannerisms that he perfectly brings to his life in his portrayal of Bob Dylan. Great supporting performances too from Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez and Edward Norton as Pete Seeger.”

While the reactions to “A Complete Unknown” have been mostly positive so far, the biopic received some negative responses, including Los Angeles film critic Ryan Swen, who used some Dylan lyrics to describe his reaction: “It’s vile and deceitful — it’s cruel and it’s mean. Ugliest thing that you have ever seen.”

The Playlist’s Gregory Ellwood, meanwhile, called the film “superb” and “shockingly moving,” adding: “Chalamet is fantastic. Monica Barbaro is incredible. We need a Joan Baez spin off movie.”

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From Searchlight Pictures and director James Mangold (“Walk the Line”), “A Complete Unknown” follows a young Dylan as he arrives in New York in the early 1960s. The film tracks the music legend as he becomes a fixture in the Greenwich Village folk scene and befriends people like Joan Baez (played by Barbaro) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton). The film ends after Dylan straps on an electric guitar at Newport Folk Festival in 1965, playing “Like a Rolling Stone” and revolutionizing the genre.

Speaking to Variety back in July, when the first trailer for the film was released, a dozen Dylan experts expressed cautious optimism toward “A Complete Unknown,” praising Chalamet’s performance of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.”

“A Complete Unknown” is written by Mangold and Jay Cocks, and based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric!” The rest of the cast includes Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, P. J. Byrne as Harold Leventhal, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie, Dan Fogler as Albert Grossman and Will Harrison as Bob Neuwirth, among others. The film is produced by Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, Peter Jaysen, Bob Bookman, Alan Gasmer, Jeff Rosen, Chalamet and Mangold.

Check out more first reactions below.

“Wow, #ACompleteUnknown. Timothée Chalamet’s performance in this is superior. James Mangold and his entire team pull off a technical feat from sound, editing, costume, cinematography to production design, down to the subtleties of makeup and hair. Loved it.” — Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt)

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“#ACompleteUnknown is absolutely incredible. Clocks in at nearly 2.5 hrs but flies by. The musical performances are perfectly placed, the story is captivating. Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, and Edward Norton all deliver unforgettable performances. I’m in awe.” — Tessa Smith (@MamasGeeky)

“A COMPLETE UNKNOWN looks and sounds great, a standard biopic that truly comes alive when its iconic characters make passionate music together. Timothée Chalamet is well-cast but Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton steal the show as Joan Baez and Pete Seeger.” — Abe Friedtanzer (@movieswithabe)

“A Complete Unknown manages to maintain tell us everything about Bob Dylan while telling us almost nothing about Bob Dylan. Some would say that was the target. The movie is ultimately about the power of the individual and talent and how what we all want can turn on a dime, repeatedly. Chalamet brings enormous power to this portrait of a man who just keeps leaving but then also keeps delivering surprises. Edward Norton’s turn is perfectly true to Seeger. Monica Barbero delivers a Baez of many facets, from fire to ice. And Elle Fanning is destined to be underrated in a complex turn as “the first NY girlfriend.” I really need to see it again to fully negotiate all that is there and all that is not there by design.” — David Poland (@DavidPoland)

“A COMPLETE UNKNOWN is a solid biopic, showing Bob Dylan as a deeply talented individual with a lack of social intelligence. Timothee Chalamet is excellent & Monica Barbaro is captivating as Joan Baez. Oscar nominatons for Best Picture, Cinematography, Sound, Costumes are possible” — Tim Gerber (@ZurrieSkate)

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Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, air force says

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Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, air force says

Russian troops launched various missiles, reportedly including an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Astrakhan region, in an early morning attack on Ukraine on Thursday.

Ukraine’s Air Force said on its Telegram account that it destroyed six Kh-101 cruise missiles using anti-aircraft combat.

The Russian attack hit critical infrastructure in the central-eastern city of Dnipro, according to the air force.

US EMBASSY IN KYIV CLOSED WEDNESDAY AS ‘POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT AIR ATTACK’ LOOMS

A Ukrainian chaplain from the city of Dnipro Leonid conducts an evacuation from a frontline village, as local residents are urged to leave due to shelling on November 19, 2024 in the direction of Kurakhovo, Ukraine.  ((Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images))

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This comes after Ukraine fired American-supplied long-range missiles into Russia on Tuesday, marking the first time for Kyiv to do so in the 1,000 days of war – a move that was authorized by President Biden on Sunday.

UKRAINE FIRES FIRST BARRAGE OF US-MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO RUSSIA, KREMLIN SAYS

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow-appointed head of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine, Yevgeny Balitsky during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

There are currently no reports on injuries or fatalities.

If the attack did involve an ICBM, it would mark a major escalation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the first time such a weapon has been used.

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This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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