Email>> Corruption ÔÇó Azerbaijan
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is facing a spam avalanche after naming Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Corruption’s Person of the Year for 2012. Drew Sullivan, the editor of the Sarajevo and Bucharest-based investigative journalism outfit, himself received more than 4,000 messages in the past month, saying Azerbaijani citizens love their president. OCCRP computer specialist estimates that five to 10 per cent of the messages are from automated servers, while the rest are cut and pasted or forwarded by actual people.
OCCRP’s allegations are substantiated by Azeri blogger Hebib Muntezir’s post that the country’s education ministry had issued a directive asking teachers and students to send complaining e-mails to OCCRP. The ministry’s message, which Muntezir posted online, included sample complaints in Azeri, Russian, and broken English, as well as the e-mail addresses to which the messages should be sent. The suggested English message says: “It was very upset, having read information on our president on a site http://occrp.org. Because, all of us are happy with works on development and an upclassing of our country.”
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.