Gulnur Kazimova

14 Posts

0 Followers

Imprisoned Azerbaijani opposition leader on ‘hunger strike until death’

•4 min read

A prominent member of the opposition Musavat Party, Tofig Yagublu, has said he will remain on hunger strike until his death unless the authorities release him from prison. On Thursday, the Nizami District Court in Baku sentenced Yagublu to four years and three months in prison on charges of hooliganism. His daughter, Nigar Hazi, told OC Media that her father’s life was at risk. ‘My father has serious health problems. Most importantly, he suffers from asthma. We don’t know how long he will

Baku during the lockdown. Photo: Denis Svechnikov.

Azerbaijan

Domestic violence and violence against women have increased in Azerbaijan

by Gulnur Kazimova

•3 min read

The financial difficulties of the pandemic, combined with social isolation measures during Azerbaijan’s anti-coronavirus lockdown have led to a sharp spike in domestic violence cases, anti-domestic violence advocates warn. Sevda (not her real name) took refuge in a woman’s shelter in Baku after being abused by her husband. She says her marriage has become intolerable during the pandemic. ‘Staying home every day made our relationship worse. Because of the quarantine, he became more aggressiv

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s soaring food prices

by Gulnur Kazimova

•4 min read

A recent increase in food prices has left many in Azerbaijan reeling. As debate around the causes and possible solutions to the problem continue, it is the most vulnerable who are paying the biggest cost. ‘Everything increases in price while the salaries stay the same’, says Sahib Mammadov, a shopkeep from Ganja. Sahib earns ₼380 ($220) per month, and a recent spike in food prices means that, he, like thousands of his compatriots, has found his budgets stretched to the limit. ‘At the beg

Azerbaijan

Georgia’s early marriages: destinies blackened in white dresses

by Gulnur Kazimova

•11 min read

Despite tightening laws against early marriages in Georgia, among the country’s ethnic Azerbaijani population, they remain common. The results of such marriages are often tragic, with young girls leaving education, becoming victims of domestic violence, or in some cases, dying. ‘I lost the game of life the day I was born. When I was born, my parents promised me as a future wife to another family. I was raised hearing about it, and when I turned 15, I got married. Nobody asked my opinion’

Azerbaijan

Protest in Azerbaijan’s Ganja against prosecutions over 2018 unrest

by Gulnur Kazimova

•4 min read

Several dozen people gathered in front of the Executive Power building in Azerbaijan’s second city, Ganja, on 22 April to protest prosecutions over the city’s deadly July 2018 unrest. The protesters, family members of the detained, said the arrests of their relatives were unfair and called on the authorities to release them. On 3 July 2018, local resident Yunis Safarov opened fire on then–Chief Executive of Ganja, Elmar Valiyev, wounding him and a bodyguard. A week later, an anti-govern

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s ‘selective ignoring’ of European Court compensation rulings

by Gulnur Kazimova

•4 min read

Despite the European Court of Human Rights awarding compensation to dozens of activists and opposition figures in Azerbaijan, many say the government is not paying up. According to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), 190 appeals from Azerbaijan were filed with the Court from January–July 2018, 28 of which received decisions. Asabali Mustafayev, head of local rights group the Democracy and Human Rights Resource Centre, told OC Media that there are currently about 20 people in Azerba

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