Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is set to be reelected by an almost unanimous vote in an election on Wednesday that outside observers say was marred by a harsh crackdown against opposition activists and journalists.
According to an exit poll reported by state news wire Azertag, Aliyev received close to 94 percent of the vote, securing a fifth term in office.
According to Freedom House, the South Caucasus nation ranks among the least free countries in the world and “since the early 1990s, elections have not been considered credible or competitive by international observers.”
Azerbaijan, which is a major exporter of gas to the EU and has been hailed as a “crucial partner” by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will host this year’s COP29 U.N. climate talks.
In a call Wednesday evening, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán became the first EU leader to congratulate Aliyev “on his enormous and indisputable victory.”
Opposition activists in the country have posted unverified clips of altercations between polling station staff and election monitors, and of individuals allegedly casting their ballot multiple times.
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