Bashir Kitachayev

3 Posts

0 Followers

Bashir is an independent journalist and photo reporter from Azerbaijan. His main focus is on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict, propaganda, and the politics of the South Caucasus and the CIS region.

A bombed out supermarket in Martuni (Khojavand). Photo: OC Media.

Armenia

To hell and back: a journalist’s account of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

by Bashir Kitachayev

•16 min read

Thrown into a war she had hoped would never happen, one journalist has found herself haunted by her experiences in Nagorno-Karabakh, and determined to prevent their return. It was a summer evening, music was playing softly in Dedaena Park in Tbilisi, barely disrupted by the sound of glasses clinking nearby. A group of our fellow students from the journalism faculty of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs came to unwind after a long day of exam preparations. As we enjoyed the relief of a

Azerbaijan

Opinion | Greenwashing a blockade

by Bashir Kitachayev

•5 min read

Almost three months ago, the Lachin Corridor was blocked by Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmental activists. But their environmental credentials are far from convincing, and more and more evidence has emerged making clear they are sent and supported by Azerbaijan’s government. On the morning of 12 December 2022, a group of Azerbaijanis calling themselves eco-activists blocked the road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. The supposed basis for their protest was ‘illegal mining’ takin

Nikol Pashinyan and Ilhan Aliyev. Illustration: OC Media.

Armenia

Opinion | Who benefits from dragging out the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

by Bashir Kitachayev

•6 min read

With sporadic violence being met by a constant stream of mutual recriminations, peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan can seem like a murky prospect. But while both sides need to do more to reach a lasting peace, who benefits most from the continuation of the conflict is clear. On 22 May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels through the mediation of EU President Charles Michel. According to Michel, the parties productively discussed huma

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