Farid Ismayilov, a journalist currently serving in the Azerbaijani army, reported about the mismanagement and shortcomings of the military unit in which he is serving. On his personal Facebook account, Ismayilov wrote that his own health was seriously deteriorated due to “the irresponsibility of the military unit’s management”. He added that “the problem of generators, drinking water and food provision” has not been solved for months in the unit.
Soldiers who do not give bribes are at the posts, starving to death. The sergeants buy food for the soldiers out of their salary to prevent the spread of the disease. The authority does not send firewood, so soldiers and sergeants collect firewood from the mined area. The commander of my unit informs the higher command about the problems and possible solutions, but with no resolution.
Farid Ismayilov says that the State Security Service, the Military Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Defense contacted him during his vacation, and he informed them of the problems, but none was resolved after a month.
Mr. President, tell the State Security to come and investigate the military unit where I serve. Mr. President, you yourself say that Azerbaijan has a strong army. Yes, it is a strong enough army. But you aren’t interested in soldiers of this army. Not once you went to a post and talked to a soldier. About 2,000 personnel were left without water as you visited Karabakh in August last year. Drinking water wasn’t brought because the road was closed for the president.
Ismayilov stressed that whenever he speaks up about the problems, the commander of the unit he serves in, with whom he says he gets along well, is reprimanded.
The Defense Ministry responded to the journalist’s allegations. The ministry’s statement said that the serviceman’s statements were lies and baseless.
Such inadequate speeches serve the purposes of forces that seek to damage the reputation of the army,
it said.
