The Baku Court of Appeals. (Official picture)
Security at the Baku Court of Appeals used pepper spray to subdue those convicted following the July 2018 Ganja protests after it was announced that they would not be released. Relatives of those convicted and human rights activists have argued that their cases were completely fabricated and that the detainees should be freed. [Read more…]
(Photo: minorityaze.org)
Queer people in Azerbaijan frequently face hatred, violence, and isolation. Below is the story of one gay man who for years hid who he was from those closest to him, faced violence and rape during his military service, and despite fleeing to Europe, still faces death threats from his family because of his sexuality. [Read more…]
A recent flare-up of a long-standing border dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan serves neither country’s interests and must be tamped down immediately. The only beneficiary in seeing these two neighbours go at it would be Russian President Vladimir Putin. [Read more…]
Protesters at Nasimi district 21st police station. (Nurlan Libre/Facebook)
Around 20 people marched through Baku’s Winter Park on Monday demanding the release of opposition politician Azad Hasanov and others widely considered by rights groups to be political prisoners. The protest was dispersed by the police and 13 of the marchers were detained.
[Read more…]
Nurlan Gakhramanli (Photo: Meydan TV)
A journalist was detained and a protest forcibly dispersed by police on Monday in front of the Press Council in Baku. National Press Day is celebrated annually on 22 July in Azerbaijan, to mark the anniversary of the first publication of the first Azerbaijani newspaper, Akinchi. [Read more…]
Afgan Mukhtarli, Seymur Hazi, and Sevinj Osmangizi
Catherine Pilishvili is a senior associate with the Europe and Central Asia programme at Human Rights Watch.
Azerbaijan is celebrating its National Press Day today. But when it comes to press freedoms, there’s not much to celebrate, argues Catherine Pilishvili from Human Rights Watch.
The protest in Baku (Musavat Party / Facebook)
Around 40 people gathered on Wednesday in front of the Iranian Embassy in Baku to protest reports of joint production of military equipment by Iran and Armenia and the arrest of an Azerbaijani–Iranian activist. The rally was soon dispersed by the police. [Read more…]
(Picture: T Buzariashvili)
The Davit Gareja monastery complex (known as Keshikchidagh in Azerbaijan) is at the centre of a new row following an altercation between Georgian activists and Azerbaijani border guards. Azerbaijan closed access to Udabno Monastery following the incident. [Read more…]
The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan (official photo)
The amendments to the law On Courts and Judges adopted by the Azerbaijani Parliament on Tuesday are supposed to ensure the independence of the judiciary. However, lawyers believe that the independence of the judiciary is impossible while it depends on the executive branch.
Aydin Gurbanov (/Meydan TV)
Aydin Gurbanov, one of the 80 detainees of Ganja protests in July 2018, died in custody from cancer on Wednesday. The authorities in Baku refused to release him despite repeated appeals by his relatives and human rights activists.
