Once enjoying extensive powers and considered Azerbaijan's eminence grise, Ramiz Mehdiyev has recently fallen out of favor, accused of plotting a coup and placed under house arrest. A case in point of how power works in Azerbaijan
Since November 2023, around thirty journalists have been arrested in Azerbaijan. From behind bars, these journalists have revealed the appalling conditions of the prison system, something previously impossible to do due to limited access to information
After meetings between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye, optimism is growing for a peace treaty by 2026. Yerevan hopes to reopen its border with Ankara. Pashinyan is aiming for concrete results to strengthen his fragile political position
Trump's recent meeting with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Aliyev and Pashinyan, in Washington raises hopes for a peace agreement. However, there's a paradox: while leaders shake hands abroad, those who practice reconciliation are being criminalized at home
In what has been described as a historic event, Yerevan and Baku moved closer towards peace this month at a trilateral meeting hosted and facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump. His counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev, said they would nominate him for the coveted Nobel Peace Prize
Baku and Yerevan appear to have made significant progress toward reaching a peace treaty after a meeting, described as "constructive," held in the United Arab Emirates in early July. However, many question marks remain unanswered
Over the past decade, Italy has been Azerbaijan’s main export destination. While Rome continues to benefit from Azerbaijani oil, Ilham Aliyev’s regime sentences a young scholar and aspiring film director to 18 years in prison
As in Agatha Christie's novel, in Azerbaijan opposition politicians, human and labor rights activists, journalists, scholars and academics continue to be victims of repression, one after another, with the substantial indifference of the international community
Surprise comments made last week by the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister revealed that the text of peace treaty with Armenia has been finalised. The move was widely welcomed internationally, though questions remain as to where and when the landmark agreement will be signed
Having made a fortune in Russia, Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan moved to the then disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh where he became de facto State Minister. Arrested by Azerbaijan in 2023, he is now on trial in Baku. After going on hunger strike last month, Vardanyan issued an audio statement last week, creating further headaches for the Pashinyan government in Armenia
On January 29, municipal elections were held in Azerbaijan, with a turnout of 31.45%. According to the Central Election Commission, it was a success, while the opposition and independent observers said it was, as usual, fraud and irregularities
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has publicly called for an end to the "Gaza tragedy." Despite protests from many quarters, however, Azerbaijan remains the main supplier of oil to Israel, which has provided key assistance to Baku in modernizing its army
Armenia’s absence from this year’s Climate Conference in Azerbaijan underscores the ongoing tensions between Yerevan and Baku. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg surprised many by visiting Tbilisi and Yerevan to support protesters
The United Nations Climate Conference COP29 begins today in Baku, Azerbaijan. The following is a message to the international public: take a moment to remember Azerbaijan's political prisoners and the many human rights violations
With less than a month left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, the clock is ticking down on any potential document to be signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan to end over three decades of conflict
Though there had been hopes that some kind of agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be initialled or signed by November this year, the situation looks increasingly uncertain as Russia once again enters the fray
Last August, the One Caucasus Festival brought together Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia through music, culture and educational and participatory projects. An example of how communities can build a peaceful future together
On 30 July, the Armenian and Turkish special envoys for normalising relations between the two countries met on their shared border. Though encouraging, however, the process appears to remain linked to normalising relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
The dispute over the modifications to the Armenian Constitution requested by Azerbaijan continues to hinder the normalization of relations between the two countries and the achievement of peace agreements
Following a landmark decision by Yerevan and Baku to delimit part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, efforts towards an agreement to normalise relations move forward despite anti-Pashinyan protests in Yerevan
Armenia moves forward with the demarcation and restitution of Azerbaijani villages. Despite the exultation of the leaders of the respective countries for a closer peace, the ongoing process is certainly not without problems
Following a recent live interview, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has hinted that the long and difficult process of border demarcation with Azerbaijan could potentially be ready to start. There are other signs, however, that the process carries with it substantial risks both regionally and domestically
Despite there being ample evidence that President Ilham Aliyev would have won in a snap presidential election on February 7, throughout the day, journalists and independent observers reported the same old election violations and fraud tactics that were in place
The attempts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to normalize their bilateral relations after the Azerbaijani conquest of Nagorno Karabakh continue in an anemic and controversial manner. A process that could lead Yerevan to change its constitution
On January 24, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted 76 in favor and ten against not ratifying the Azerbaijan delegation's credentials at the Assembly
The regions around Nagorno Karabakh are contaminated with thousands of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). An urgent matter, but demining takes a long time
Recently a series of arrests in Azerbaijan, targeting independent media and their few journalists, has brought to mind the repression of civil society and bloggers 10-15 years ago. But has the persecution of Azerbaijan's civil society ever stopped?
Armenia and Azerbaijan issued a late-night joint statement that surprised even the most seasoned of commentators. Though it remains unclear whether this could be a long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations, the international community was united in welcoming the move
As negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to have stalled, border commissions from both sides met on 30 November. However, it remains unclear whether the meeting was nothing more than symbolic
In recent days, Georgia once again hosted the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, an event with an economic focus. What is new this year is that for the first time an Armenian leader spoke at such a high-level event in Tbilisi, and high-level officials from all three South Caucasus countries were also on the same stage
