veterans

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Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov visiting soldiers injured during the two-day war of 2022. Image: Ministry of Defence.

Turned away: Azerbaijan’s war veterans

•7 min read

A wave of suicides among Azerbaijani veterans of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War has led experts to question whether the government is doing enough to rehabilitate those who fight in its service. On 4 July, Ilham Hasanov, a veteran of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, visited a petrol station in Shamkir, a city in northwest Azerbaijan, where he purchased a container of petrol. He then drove to the offices of the local district authorities and attempted to set himself alight. Hasanov survive

Azerbaijan

Caring for the war-wounded: a thankless task in Azerbaijan

by Seymur Kazimov

•6 min read

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. ‘I used to be a nurse in a military hospital. I witnessed many things there, like girls abandoning their grooms whose hands or arms had been amputated. All the young men were participants

Azerbaijan

Elderly in Azerbaijan: venerated yet lonely

by Volodymyr Soboliev

•7 min read

Despite the veneer of patriarchy and the respect for the elderly, the life of old people in Azerbaijan is hard, especially when they are lonely. With an average pension of $100, they can only hope for help from shelters, kind neighbours, and volunteers. Global trends Azerbaijanis consider themselves a patriarchal country with all the attributes of one, including respect for the elderly and care for the retired. But reality is sometimes quite different from the announced tradition. T