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International human rights defenders have tried to pay more attention to the subject of the deteriorating situation in Azerbaijan in 2014, but the official criticism of the West remained unnoticed by the authorities, and the media interest remained low.
Everything changed after the raid on the office of "Radio Liberty" in Baku, Azerbaijani oppositionist Murad Hasanli writes in an article published in the website of the British newspaper “The Guardian”.

He notes that articles criticizing the government of President Ilham Aliyev, started to appear in the leading American newspapers. Some of these articles were written by state officials, including former State Department officials, and had emotional context, condemning Aliyev personally.

"Most of these criticisms, however, are expressed from the geopolitical point of view; the repressions of Western NGOs and media organizations are condemned as a shift of Baku in the direction of Russia in light of the events in Ukraine. The prisoners issue in on the last place on the background of the relationship crisis between Azerbaijan and the West," writes Hasanly.

But, as the author notes, the truth is much more complicated. Over the past 20 years, Azerbaijan has supported the pro-Western course. A consortium led by BP exports Azerbaijani oil and gas to the European market, and hundreds of Western, mostly British companies do business in Baku. In the city the European game are to be held this year, in 2016 - the racing of "Formula 1". Baku has send peacekeepers to Iraq and Afghanistan, and joined many international organizations, which are coordinated by the West. From time to time it has been very difficult to seek a strategic partnership with the West, while balancing relations with Russia.

"Promises of America, as well as all of its threat sound increasingly hollow in the new post-Ukrainian reality, and the pro-Moscow part of Azerbaijani state is undoubtedly getting intensified. Many in Baku point out the fate of Georgia after the war that took place in 2008, and now also in Ukraine. Russia is more and more treated as the only party that has the keys to the regional conflicts," writes Hasanly.

Meanwhile, as the European office of "Radio Liberty" report, in Baku they tried to stifle the human rights activist Gunay Ismayilova. According to the article, a stranger has come up to Ismaylova not far from her home in Baku, took her by her throat and began stifle. When she started screaming, the criminal fled. Ismailova said that it was not a robbery attempt.

The article notes that the Ismailova’s defendant - Rasul Jafarov has been arrested in August on charges of tax evasion, illegal business activities, abuse of office and forgery. Its proponents argue that these charges are politically motivated.

After the incident, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media, Dunja Mijatović called on the authorities of Azerbaijan with to ensure the safety of Gunay Ismayilova.

It became known also that the pre-trial period of the detention of journalist Khadija Ismayilova has been extended for two months, the international news agency “Reuters” reports. The article notes that human rights defenders and critics accuse Aliyev for harassment of dissent and arrests of opponents. However, criticism of the West on human rights issues in Azerbaijan was muted because of viewing Baku as an alternative to Russian oil and gas supplies. Azerbaijan claims that its citizens enjoy full freedom of expression and active opposition press, writes “Reuters”.

In the material published on the website of OCCRP dispatches from Wikileaks are cited. "Local Editor Khadija Ismayilova is a long-standing oppositionist activist, who considers herself an enemy of the government," Aliyev said of her as the dispatch gives, adding that he looks for "change in the course" of Radio "Liberty".

International Organization “Index on Censorship” in its turn, together with organizations Platform and 89up has organized petition signature calling for the immediate release of the journalists and human rights activists in Azerbaijan. The text of the petition is published on the site of the Index on Censorship. The text states that if a person, living in the UK, joins the petition then on his behalf a letter will be sent to his MP which is calling to sign a resolution in the House of Commons (Early Day Motion 718) which in its turn will urge the Azerbaijani government to release political prisoners and to preserve the international human rights standards.