Day: December 30, 2021

“Azercell volunteers” bring joy to about two hundred children

Azercell Telecom, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of its activity, from the first years of its existence, has formed a large charity team “Azercell Volunteers”, consisting of Azercell employees. This year, as in previous years, “Azercell Volunteers” have launched another charity initiative for children on the occasion of the Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year. As part of the campaign “Meet the New Year with gifts from volunteers”, they visited the families of martyrs and veterans of the Second Patriotic War, as well as low-income families, and brought joy by presenting holiday gifts to their children.

The campaign was announced in advance on social network accounts of “Azercell Volunteers”. The charity team, with the support of partners and individuals who joined the initiative, prepared gifts for children from vulnerable groups during a month.

The campaign “Meet the New Year with gifts from volunteers” covered many regions of Azerbaijan. Volunteers visited the families of martyrs and veterans residing in Sumgayit, Khojasan, Khirdalan, Saray, also meeting with the children in Ganja, Barda, Fizuli, Oguz, Shamakhi, Lankaran, Shirvan, Sabirabad, Mingachevir, Gabala, Sheki, Goranboy, and Naftalan. In general, holiday gifts were distributed to about 200 children from different age groups on the occasion of the Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year.

It should be noted that similar campaigns on the occasion of the holiday were carried out by volunteers in previous years. “Azercell Volunteers”, developing charitable traditions in our country for a long time, expresses its gratitude to the partner companies and social network followers who supported these campaigns and encourages everyone to unite efforts in this direction.®

Source: Turan News Agency

Up to 300 construction workers hired to build the “Smart Village” in Zangilan complained to journalists about the lack of labor contracts, wages and normal living conditions. They have not received their wages for two months. They were promised to transfer their wages to their cards, but they had no bank cards due to the absence of employment contracts.

On 1 December, the workers sent their complaints to the company’s management. They were promised to look into their complaints. Eight people called the police telephone 102, and written complaints were taken from them afterwards.

One of the workers says that because of the cited above circumstances, some of the builders left the place of work, and the construction stopped for this reason.

The workers do not name the construction company that brought them to Zangilan to work in the area of the village of Üçüncü Agali destroyed by the occupiers. “They brought us in and threw us out here. We live in the cold, without basic conditions. There is a President in this state, we hope that he will deal with our problem,” the worker said.

It should be added that the work on the construction of the “Smart Village” in Zangilan is demonstrated in the state TV channels. On October 20, it was reported that the construction of the Village is coming to an end. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources reported on TV that 200 residential houses and four social buildings are nearly completed, and that environmental facilities, including an artificial lake, will also be put into operation by the end of the year.

The Ministry of Agriculture told Turan that a subcontractor who hired workers and did not settle the payment method with them was to blame. The firm offered to pay through a bank; however, the workers are demanding money in cash because they have difficulties in getting payment through ATMs.

“The Ministry of Agriculture is not involved in paying the construction workers. We are just the customer paying for the work. The Ministry of Agriculture has studied this issue, the problem with the workers has already been solved. I can’t name a general contractor who has concluded a contract with the Ministry of Agriculture and hired subcontractors,” said the head of the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to the media, AS Group Investment was appointed a general contractor for the construction of the “Smart Village.

However, a video of workers’ complaints appeared on the network yesterday, they filed a complaints the other day, that is, it’d be too early to talk about the problem resolution.

Commenting on the workers’ discontent, human rights activist Mirvari Gahramanly suggested that the workers appeal to the labor inspectorate under the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. “If there is no benefit, let them go to court,” she said.

Note that for 6 months of 2021, 10.8 million manats were allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture for the implementation of the project “Smart Village” in the territory of village Agaly-2 of Zangilan region of Azerbaijan.

Pursuant to the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan, in January-June 2021 the Azerbaijani government spent AZN 372.1 million within the framework of the program of rehabilitation of the liberated territories, including Zangilan region.

It was the head of state who launched the first project “Smart Village” in April 2021. In the last decade of October President Ilham Aliyev traveled to Zangilan region and got acquainted with the work. Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov said that construction works are carried out on the territory of over 110 ha within the project detailing about what kind of “Smart City-Garden” it was going to be here in the nearest future.

Several Azerbaijani architects in interviews with journalists compared the “Smart Village” in Zangilan with the so-called “Potemkin villages” (i.e. fake to deceive the leader of the country) in imperial Russia.

Source: Turan News Agency

On December 30, the Milli Majlis at the plenary session adopted in the third reading the scandalous draft Law “On the Media”.

The deputies took into no account the protests and demands of numerous journalists and media outlets to make the necessary changes.

At the same time, some insignificant supplements were made that had no effect on the general nature of the document. In particular, Article 13 was amended to say that media outlets must make a reference when using information from news agencies.

Article 14 was supplemented as saying that the facts should be commented objectively and that there should not be a one-sided approach.

Finally, it was added in Article 30 that “those broadcasting audiovisual programs over the Internet may obtain a license of platform broadcaster by applying in person.

In other words, nothing in principle has changed. The Law will drastically limit the rights of journalists and users of social networks, Practically any publication of a video or opinion can be interpreted as violation of the Law, as well as the expression of a personal opinion.

Source: Turan News Agency

On the morning of 30 December there was an explosion in front of one of the towers of the Flame Towers complex in the upland part of the capital.

The fact has caused close attention and concern, for in the immediate vicinity of the site there are Milli Majlis, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Defense and the AZTV State Television and Radio Company.

Later, Azerigaz and the mayor’s office clarified that the explosion was caused by a gas leak during repair work. Two employees of the Baku City Hall were injured in the explosion.

As for the object of the explosion, it was one of the two 8-meter towers in front of the complex. On top of it there is a torch where the fire is burning.

It is noteworthy that since the opening of the three Flame Towers skyscrapers (about 10 years), the pedestrian paths in front of them are blocked with metal fences. People are forced to walk along the roadway. The impression is that it is deadly to approach these buildings. Today’s explosion proved that these assumptions were correct. In all probability, they will now close off the roadway as well.

Source: Turan News Agency

On December 29, at about 4:00 p.m, Aghdam District Prosecutor Office received information on the wounding of Baku city resident Rahimli Anar Mahammad, born in 1993, in the territory of “Yeddi khirman” of Aghdam district, liberated from occupation, as a result of a fire from gunfire, Prosecutor General’s Office told APA.

It was determined in the initial investigations that Anar Rahimli was wounded as a result of firing by Armenian armed forces while implementing service tasks in the mentioned territory.

A criminal case has been launched in the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office with Articles # 214.2.3, # 29, # 120.2.7, #29, # 120.2.11, # 228.3, and others of the Criminal Code.

Source: Azeri-Press News Agency

“Azerbaijan’s Parliament has just passed the Law that destroys the independent press!

“Reporters Without Borders” who have called for the revision of this Law, insist that the Council of Europe Platform for Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists demand to rewrite this Law that violates the European Convention on Human Rights.”

“Reporters Without Borders” wrote about it in its Twitter account.

Source: Turan News Agency