The Regime Devours Its Own: Tyrannical State Cannibalizes Pro-Government Outlet Haqqin.az
BAKU — In a stark display of an authoritarian regime’s insatiable appetite for absolute control, the Azerbaijani government has orchestrated the hostile takeover of Haqqin.az, forcibly stripping the influential Russian-language portal from its founder, Eynulla Fatullayev.
The seizure exposes a grim new reality in Baku: absolutely no one is safe. While Fatullayev began his career as a dissident, for the past decade, both he and his platform have operated as reliable, loyalist mouthpieces for the state. Yet, in an environment where a rampant, unchecked government demands the total monopolization of the information space, even obedient servants are being purged.
The regime is no longer just silencing the opposition; it is cannibalizing its own.
A Loyalist Stripped of His Empire
For years, Haqqin.az served as a crucial tool for shaping the political narrative among Azerbaijan’s Russian-speaking audience in favor of the ruling elite. Despite playing by the regime’s rules, Fatullayev has been coerced into surrendering his life’s work. The portal was reportedly handed over to a state-approved businessman, Adam Ismayilov.
Fearing for his safety in a country where the rules can change overnight, the veteran journalist has fled into exile in Turkey. Announcing his sudden departure from a profession he once dominated, Fatullayev grimly described practicing journalism in Azerbaijan as being as lethal as “walking a tightrope over an abyss.”
The State’s Monopoly on Information
The fingerprints of the state apparatus are undeniably smeared across this hostile transition. Independent reports have exposed that the actual management of the seized site is being handed over to operatives from “Global Media Group”—a massive, state-aligned media conglomerate widely understood to be bankrolled by the national oil giant, SOCAR.
Specifically, the reins are allegedly being handed to the leadership of Caliber.Az, another staunch government mouthpiece. By forcing Haqqin.az into a centralized, state-funded echo chamber, the regime is ensuring that even semi-autonomous loyalist platforms are crushed and absorbed into a single, monolithic propaganda machine.
Economic Suffocation: Leaving Nothing Behind
The crackdown did not end with the confiscation of his editorial platform. In a display of mafia-style economic extortion typical of autocratic regimes, Fatullayev is reportedly being stripped of his private business assets as well.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that control over “Agabala,” a lucrative Baku restaurant officially registered to his family, was seized simultaneously with the news portal.
The Illusion of Safety
The total eradication of Fatullayev’s media empire proves a bitter truth about modern Azerbaijan. Decades ago, Fatullayev was imprisoned on fabricated charges for daring to criticize the government. Upon his release, he chose to align with the state, building a loyalist empire in the hopes of securing safety and success.
His downfall demonstrates that in a system built on absolute tyranny, appeasement offers no protection. When an authoritarian regime decides to take everything, even its most useful assets are thrown under the bus.
