by Eldar Mamedov Roughly 300 kilometers south of Baku, Azerbaijan’s booming capital with its glitzy boutiques and five-star hotels, lies a different reality. Groups of humbly dressed, unshaven men in black shirts flocked to mosques in mid-October in the town… Continue Reading
by Joshua Kucera Azerbaijan must make legislative changes within four months that expand rights for local civil society organizations, or risk losing billions of dollars in loans it needs to build a key gas pipeline. The demand, made by an… Continue Reading
by Durna Safarova Authorities in Azerbaijan are trying to erase the line between legitimate dissent and religious extremism in an attempt to stifle criticism of their policies. An ongoing trial in the Baku suburb of Nardaran highlights the trend. The… Continue Reading
by Eldar Mamedov As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responds to the failed coup attempt on July 15, Azerbaijan is embracing the Turkish government’s narrative that the botched putsch was orchestrated by followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Among recent… Continue Reading
by Durna Safarova Azerbaijan, a strategic ally of Turkey, has suspended a national TV station that reportedly planned to broadcast an interview with Fethullah Gülen, the Pennsylvania-based imam who Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames for instigating a failed coup.