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List of people declared personae non gratae in Azerbaijan

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Unless a visa or an official warrant is issued by Azerbaijani authorities, the government of Azerbaijan condemns any visit by foreign citizens to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh (the de facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), its surrounding territories and the Azerbaijani enclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı and Sofulu which are de jure part of Azerbaijan under Armenian control. Azerbaijan considers entering these territories through Armenia (as it is usually the case) a violation of its visa and migration policy. Foreign citizens who enter these occupied territories will be permanently banned from entering Azerbaijan and will be included on the list of people who are personae non gratae by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.[1]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has explained the matter thus:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan would like to remind all nationals of foreign countries wishing to travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan that due to continuing occupation by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, these areas are temporarily out of control of the Republic of Azerbaijan..


Any visit without the consent of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the above-mentioned territories, which are internationally recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan is considered as a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and as a breach of national legislation, as well as relevant norms and principles of international law.
Accordingly, the Ministry calls all foreign nationals to refrain themselves from travelling to the occupied territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Ministry would like to remind that those who traveled to the occupied territories without prior permission of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be denied the entry to the Republic of Azerbaijan.[2]

As of August 2013, the list of people declared persona non grata included 331 people.[3]

List

Date unknown

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Reaction

Azerbaijan

Official

Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan spokesman Elman Abdullayev said the list is incomplete due to an ongoing investigation of more potential entry violations.[32] Abdullayev also claimed that "if the person who visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan without the permission of the Azerbaijani side, regrets his actions, aware of the illegality of his visit and will appeal to the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan with an explanation, the Azerbaijani side is willing to consider this appeal on the exclusion of that person from the list."[33]

Non-official

Investigative journalist and radio reporter Khadija Ismayilova, known for her anti-government publications, has noted that some of the people whose names appear on the list, especially those for whom no reason for the ban has been listed, are in fact journalists and human rights activists who apparently were barred from entering Azerbaijan for criticising the Azerbaijani government in their articles, as it is not evident if they have ever visited Nagorno-Karabakh.[34]

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has criticised the Azerbaijan stance, stating:

Azerbaijan replaces the conflict settlement process with attempts to transfer the issue to the auspice of the UN, Council of Europe, European Parliament, and other international organizations. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani party's requirement for the international organizations, states, and political figures to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan grows into a political farce and its declaration of the citizens visiting the NKR "persona non grata" – into a comedy. The position of Azerbaijan is fully deprived of even hints of readiness for any compromise or concessions. This reconfirms the fact that official Baku doesn't want to resolve the Karabakh issue, trying to shift the blame for the failure onto Armenia.[35]

International

Official

Following Azerbaijan's protests, governments of some countries whose citizens visited the occupied territory, as well as establishments that they were affiliated with at the time of the visit, described these visits as "personal decisions" of the said individuals and stated that those visits did not represent their official position.[36][37][38][39][40]

The US State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs website states that "traveling to the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied areas via Armenia without the consent of the Government of Azerbaijan could make you ineligible to travel to Azerbaijan in the future."[41]

Non-official

François Rochebloine, Member of the French National Assembly and the head of the France-Armenia Friendship Group, commented on the Azerbaijani decision to ban his entrance to Azerbaijan, stating that it is an "honor" for him to be declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan.[42]

Ueli Leuenberger, a Swiss Member of Parliament, has stated that he is "grateful" for being blacklisted from Azerbaijan.[28]

The Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé visited the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on 4 June 2013. She met the primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, in Shushi's Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. She also visited Gandzasar and Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, where she met with President Bako Sahakyan. On 6 June 2013, the Azerbaijani government declared Caballé persona non grata.[43][44][45][46] On 9 June 2013, the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, awarded Caballé the Armenian Medal of Honor.[47]

According to Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin, who is included in the list, "Azerbaijani position towards Armenians is too complicated and Azerbaijanis themselves can not explain the approach of their government."[48]

Wayne Merry, an retired American diplomat and the senior fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council, condemned the Azerbaijani government and said that "this step first of all harms the Azerbaijani authorities" and it is a "striking example of self-isolation and simple policy."[49]

Nicholas Wondra, an expert on Caucasus, was found himself in the Azerbaijani "black list" despite the fact that he has never been in Karabakh. He added that "as far as I have been included in the list, now I must visit Karabakh as an expert on Caucasus."[49]

References

  1. ^ "Visa section at the Embassy". Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Romania. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Warning for the foreign nationals wishing to travel to the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Персоны нон грата в Азербайджане - СПИСОК. Day.az. 2 August 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar "Arzuolunmaz Şəxslərin Siyahısı [List of Undesirable People]" (PDF). Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Эльмар Мамедъяров запретил «Феличита» … и не только. Haqqin.az. 1 August 2013.
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ "Turkish journalist declared 'persona non-grata' after Garabagh visit". Azernews. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e "МИД Азербайджана объявил пятерых депутатов Госдумы персона нон-грата". International Expert Center for Electoral Systems. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Who Can Visit Azerbaijan? At Least Not Those Who Observed NKR Elections". Tert.am. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Member of Slovak parliament writes article about his impressions from Armenia and Karabakh". Panorama.am. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Azerbaijan Protests French Deputies' Visit To Nagorno-Karabakh". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Azerbaijan announces a number of French parliamentarians non-grata". Today.az. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  13. ^ "European MP Blacklisted by Azerbaijan for Visiting Karabakh". Massispost. 20 December 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  14. ^ Baku may blacklist Italian singer for visiting Karabakh. APA. 19 October 2010.
  15. ^ "Another Russian journalist barred from Azerbaijan". AzerNews. Baku. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Citing ethnicity, Azerbaijan bars photojournalist". Committee to Protect Journalists. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Azerbaijan "blacklists" Russian politician for visiting Karabakh". News.am. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  18. ^ "California senator declared persona non-grata in Azerbaijan". Eastern Partnership Community. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  19. ^ "FM: Azerbaijan ready to consider Izvestia newspaper's appeal". Trend.az. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Azerbaijan Blacklists Stepanakert Visiting Turkish Cypriots". Asbarez. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  21. ^ "Azerbaijani MFA blacklists representatives of Northern Cyprus who visited Karabakh". PanArmenian. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  22. ^ "AZERBAIJAN TO BLACKLIST TURKISH CYPRIOTS FOR KARABAKH TRIP". ArmTown. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  23. ^ a b c Azerbaijan Protests French Deputies' Visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. Radio Free Europe. August 23, 2011.
  24. ^ Gloria Galloway. Azerbaijan upset over Liberal MP’s trip to disputed territory's election. The Globe and Mail. 19 July 2012.
  25. ^ "Chairman of Georgian Writers Union declared persona non-grata in Azerbaijan". News.az. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  26. ^ a b c "Azerbaijan blacklists senators visiting Karabakh". News.am. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  27. ^ a b "Cosmonauts visited NKR are in "persona non-grata" list of Azerbaijan". Public Radio of Armenia. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  28. ^ a b c "Swiss parliamentarian is grateful to Azerbaijan for being included in its "black list"". ArmenPress. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  29. ^ "Swiss MPs not upset from being blacklisted in Azerbaijan". News.am. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  30. ^ a b c Европарламент прокомментировал визит ряда своих депутатов в оккупированный Нагорный Карабах Азербайджана.
  31. ^ a b c "Baku Irked by California Officials' Visit to Artsakh". Asbarez. 18 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  32. ^ Список расширится?. Zerkalo. 5 August 2013.
  33. ^ МИД Азербайджана: большинство лиц армяне заманили на оккупированные территории обманом
  34. ^ "Whose is Banned from Visiting Azerbaijan?". Ishdan sonra. Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe. 5 August 2013. Radio.
  35. ^ "THE POSITION OF BAKU IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT IS A POLITICAL FARCE AND COMEDY – INTERVIEW OF THE ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER OF KARABAKH". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  36. ^ Посол Азербайджана обвинил французских депутатов в безответственности. Day.az. 24 August 2011.
  37. ^ Европарламент прокомментировал визит ряда своих депутатов в оккупированный Нагорный Карабах Азербайджана. APA. 29 April 2013.
  38. ^ Визит на оккупированные территории без согласования и без разрешения правительства Азербайджана не может считаться законным - МИД. 1news.az. 19 July 2013.
  39. ^ Template:Ru icon Australia, Canada, New Zealand Condemn Election in Nagorno-Karabakh. Regnum. 19 July 2012.
  40. ^ Испания дала ответ Азербайджану на объявление персона нон грата Монсеррат Кабалье. 13 June 2013.
  41. ^ "Armenia Country Specific Information". Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  42. ^ "Persona non-grata in Azerbaijan an honor, French MP says". News.am. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  43. ^ "Baku Declares Renowned Opera Star 'Persona Non-Grata'". Asbarez. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  44. ^ "Montserrat Caballe Declared Persona Non Grata in Azerbaijan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  45. ^ Template:Es icon "Azerbaiyán declara persona non-grata a Montserrat Caballé". El Pais. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  46. ^ Template:Es icon "Montserrat Caballé, "persona non-grata" en Azerbaiyán". RIA Novosti. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  47. ^ Template:Ru icon"Армения наградила орденом ставшую персоной нон грата в Азербайджане Монсеррат Кабалье". Korrespondent.net. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  48. ^ "People included in Azerbaijani "persona non-grata" list do not care about it". Armenpress. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  49. ^ a b "People who never visited Nagorno Karabakh Republic appeared in Baku's "black list"". Armenpress. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
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