Since late November, the Azerbaijani authorities have targeted at least seven Azerbaijani activists and media representatives based abroad.
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
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’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
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
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
