Kamran Mahmudov

24 Posts

0 Followers

Kamran is a freelance journalist based in Azerbaijan with over 15 years of experience.

Jamila Mammadli performing on stage at the Asa Theatre in Baku. Photo: Famil Mahmudbeyli/Asa Theatre.

Ableism

Voice | ‘Whether I have a disability or not, I am still me’

by Kamran Mahmudov

•6 min read

Jamila Mammadli, 26, was born in the village of Potu, in the Goychay District of Azerbaijan. She talks about love, her passion for the theatre, and the preconceptions about disability that are pervasive in Azerbaijan. ‘The problem arose on the day I was born; the doctor made a mistake. She pulled too hard to get me out of my mother’s womb, and it damaged my spinal column. At first, my parents didn’t realise. After half a year, when they saw that I was not fully moving, they realised that I had

Karantin dövründə Bakı. Foto: Əziz Kərimov/Əkinçi

Azerbaijan

‘A lost year’ — How the global pandemic has hit Azerbaijan’s economy

by Kamran Mahmudov

•5 min read

The global COVID-19 pandemic has hit economies the world over. But Azerbaijani economists warn that the shutdown of vital industries such as tourism and the service sector pale in comparison to what a plunging oil price could do. Rafig (not his real name), 32, has been running a cafe in a construction market in Baku for three years. Due to the quarantine regime introduced in Azerbaijan because of the coronavirus, the cafe has been closed for about two months. Rafig told OC Media he is more

Azerbaijan

Municipal elections in Azerbaijan marred by violations

by Kamran Mahmudov

•4 min read

Azerbaijan’s recent municipal elections have been marred by widespread reports of electoral violations, including ‘group voting’ and ballot stuffing. Several prominent activists also put forward their candidacies for the election. The elections were held on 23 December. According to the Central Election Commission, voter turnout in the municipal elections was 33% across the country. This year, 15,000 municipal members were elected in over 1,600 municipalities. In total, over 41,000 candidat

Azerbaijan

Voice | ‘I did all these things so that the women would not lose hope’

by Kamran Mahmudov

•5 min read

Vafa Naghi is 36-years-old former journalist and graduate of Istanbul’s Sabahattin Zaim University. She could have had a bright career in Baku or abroad. But after graduation, she moved back to Kholgaragashli, the village of her birth, to start a small sewing workshop to help the local women find jobs and their independence. After submitting this piece, she was elected to the municipal council. ‘When I was in the fourth year [of university], my grandmother died and after many years away I h

2020 Azerbaijani Parliamentary Election

Azerbaijan to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections

by Kamran Mahmudov

•2 min read

Following a meeting of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party’s Political Council, the ruling party has announced plans to dissolve Parliament and prepare for snap elections. Some have speculated that the move is meant to strengthen the position of President Ilham Aliyev’s wife, Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. The party’s Executive Secretary, Ali Akhmedov, justified the move by saying that the ‘reforms led by President Ilham Aliev should not be left out of the legislative sphere’. ‘We hope the

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani students struggle with high tuition fees

by Kamran Mahmudov

•5 min read

With some of the highest tuition fees in the region but low performance, critics say Azerbaijan’s education system doesn’t make the grade. Umman Safarov will not be returning to university this September. He could not continue his studies at the Faculty of Journalism at Baku State University (BSU) because he could not afford the tuition. ‘I had to pay for my degree, but I didn’t have enough [money]. Maybe I’ll finish it someday.’ Safarov tells OC Media. ‘It is nothing but a waste of time

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