Caspian Voices

October 2023

Welcome to Caspian Voices, Crude Accountability's monthly newsletter for scholars, policy-makers, and civil society members.

In this edition, we continue our campaign for the immediate and unconditional release of our dear friend and colleague, Gubad Ibadoghlu, calling out OSCE Participating States and BP for more urgent action. We also share our latest Climate Justice Interview with Kaisha Atakhanova and a new report that exposes the horrors of Turkmenistan's opaque prison system. Additionally, our colleague and research contributor, Steve Swerdlow, appears on multiple media outlets to discuss the details of our report, Enforced Disappearances in Tajikistan. Plus, we ready ourselves to attend the 2023 Community Sentinels Award.

Join us in uncovering narratives, promoting transparency, and advocating for environmental justice in the Caspian and Black Sea regions, and beyond.

Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan. AdobeStock

Warsaw Human Dimension Conference

On October 9th and 10th, we led interventions at the OSCE WHDC 2023, one of the largest human rights conferences in the region.

Our executive director, Kate Watters, delivered remarks on the current condition of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu being held by Azerbaijani authorities on trumped up charges and the practice of enforced disappearances by repressive regimes, particularly Turkmenistan.

During Watter's statement on Dr. Ibadoghlu, civil society members stood up in solidarity and support, which was covered by AbzasMedia.

Watch the full intervention for Gubad's release here and our call to end enforced disappearances here.

Climate Justice Interview

Continuing our Climate Justice Interview series, biologist and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Kaisha Atakhanova joined us to discuss energy policy in Kazakhstan and modern nuclear debates that will shape the future of the country.

Watch the full interview here (Russian and English subtitles are available).

Turkmenistan's Prison System

Crude Accountability, in collaboration with Glasgow-based space technology start-up, Omanos Analytics, analyzed satellite data and rare eye-witness testimonies on the growing expansion of Turkmenistan's prison sites.

Focusing Akdash and Ovadan Depe, notorious for their inhumane conditions and concentration of political prisoners, the report draws attention to their significant development in recent years and evaluates these findings within the context of human rights violations in Turkmenistan.

Learn more and read our report here.

Where is the Voice of BP?

It has been over 90 days and Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu is still being held behind bars and denied access to critical medical care. While governments and civil society around the world have demanded for his immediate release, BP – the largest corporate foreign investor in Azerbaijan – continues to remain silent.

We released a statement and sent a letter to BP to uphold its own commitments and utilize its substantial influence in Azerbaijan to advocate for the unconditional release of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu

Read the full statement here, and share the hashtag #freegubad to raise awareness of his case.

Enforced Disappearances in Tajikistan

Steve Swedlow joined Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty's Majlis Podcast host Bruce Pannier to discuss the practice of enforced disappearances in Tajikistan.

Likewise, Swerdlow's findings in the Crude Accountability report has been featured in a couple of articles: The Diplomat and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Read his full report here.

2023 Community Sentinel Awards

We are proud to sponsor the 2023 Community Sentinel Awards hosted by FracTracker Alliance and Halt the Harm Network.

Join us (in person or virtually) on November 9 for an unforgettable evening to celebrate the efforts of four remarkable individuals working to protect communities from the harms of the fossil fuel industry.

Learn more and RSVP here.

Images in this newsletter are licensed for editorial use via Adobe Stock or belong to Crude Accountability.

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