The practice of using intimate photos and videos to silence dissidents and critics of the authorities continues in Azerbaijan, the material of the Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime (CSCOC), which unites investigative journalists from many countries.
In mid-February, a well-known activist Bakhtiar Hajiyev went on a hunger strike against his arrest. Over the following weeks, photos, “exposing” him began to appear on Telegram channels. So, photos stolen from his personal phone, including also chats and audio recordings, got into the network. This was done to discredit both the activist himself and the women with whom he communicated.
At the same time, the names, home addresses or contact information of the women were mentioned on the network.
“A number of international human rights groups have reliable evidence that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan coordinates hacking campaigns against its citizens. Azerbaijan was also recognized as the main user of the “Pegasus” spyware.
CSCOC has established that the Azerbaijani government has been monitoring more than 40 activists, journalists and their family members, including Bakhtiar Hajiyev, through the “Pegasus” spy program,” the CSCOC report says.