Murad Soltanov (Facebook)
A 25-year-old man who reportedly suffered from mental illness was found dead in the northeastern Azerbaijani city of Shabran on Saturday, after an apparent ‘exorcism’ attempt. [Read more…]
(report.az)
Recent progress in e-governance in Azerbaijan has dramatically reduced petty corruption in many sectors. But for those visiting public hospitals, sending their children to kindergarten, or dealing with the traffic police — the problem of bribery can still be a part of daily life. [Read more…]
Kalbajar/Karvachar, Nagorno-Karabakh (Armine Avetisyan /OC Media)
Those who have experienced the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict first-hand and are most affected by the hostilities are more supportive of peaceful reconciliation, a report from UK-based peacebuilding group International Alert suggests. [Read more…]
Karvachar, Shahumyan District, Nagorno-Karabakh (Armine Avetisyan /OC Media)
The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh are hoping to incentivise more people to settle in the sparsely populated areas of Nagorno-Karabakh to encourage economic growth and strengthen its sense of security. However, the unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan casts shadow on these plans.
A still from a video at the summit
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have vowed to reduce tensions and set up a direct hotline between the two sides, after a meeting in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. [Read more…]
Intigam Aliyev (/Amnesty International)
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that Azerbaijan’s arrest and conviction of Intigam Aliyev were politically motivated, aimed to ‘silence and to punish’ him for his human rights work. The Azerbaijani human rights lawyer was a loud critic of the authorities accusing them of cracking down on independent lawyers in Azerbaijan and using repressive tactics during 2010 parliamentary elections.
Turaj Jafarova with her daughter (Seymur Kazimov /OC Media)
The Nagorno-Karabakh war left thousands in Azerbaijan with lasting scars — both physical and psychological. For many of the loved ones of disabled veterans, being a carer is a full-time task. But carers say they receive little support, and they must get by on the small disability benefits available.
The protest in Samur on 7 September (Saida Vagabova /OC Media)
More than 300 residents of the village of Samur in Daghestan’s southern Magaramkent District gathered on 7 September and demanded an end to drilling for water in the Samur Forest. Military hardware from the National Guard was brought into Samur the same day to protect the construction site of the Samur water pipeline.
The Presidium of the Bar Association of the Republic of Azerbaijan (news24.az)
Changes to the leadership and rules surrounding Azerbaijan’s Bar Association have left a number of prominent human rights lawyers unable to practice their trade. Independent journalists and opposition politicians say they are being left defenceless against political prosecutions, with one prominent human rights defender claiming just six lawyers now represent 150 political prisoners.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Facebook)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has concluded a three-day long tour to the South Caucasus. During her trip Merkel faced questions about Georgia’s Western ambitions, her position on the region’s conflicts, and human rights abuses in Azerbaijan, and also suggested Georgians may soon be able to work in Germany. [Read more…]
