No, he is not Spider-Man.
He is not another fictional hero from the Marvel universe.
Oh no.
He is a real-life hero — a journalist who stood up against dictatorship, corruption, fear, and silence. And because of that, he was forced into exile.
How did it happen? Well…
In Azerbaijan, journalism has effectively been declared a crime. Twenty-six journalists are behind bars. Newsrooms have been raided by the police. International media has been pushed out of the country. Independent journalists are being forced to flee simply to avoid prison.
But even outside the country, journalists are not truly safe.
Transnational repression has become the new favorite weapon of dictatorships. The suspicious deaths and killings of Bayram Mammadov, Vugar Rzayev, Huseyn Bakikhanov, and Vidadi Isgandarli abroad; the assassination attempt against blogger Mahammad Mirzali; organized attacks against journalists and bloggers living in exile; arrest warrants issued in absentia; pressure on journalists’ families back home — and much more…
In Azerbaijan, journalism is no longer just a profession.
To outsiders, it may look like a form of masochism — because those who practice it often face cruelty, torture, humiliation, threats, prison, and exile.
And yet, under these brutal conditions, there are still journalists who continue their work — even in secrecy, even under threat, even without showing their faces.
Such a journalist is at least as heroic as Spider-Man.
But this time, the hero is real.
Call him Spider from now on.