Azerbaijani people have made their choice. Or so the government claims. On 9 October, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected for a third term with an overwhelming majority of 84.6%. Some celebrated outside, wishing each other happy holidays. Others were in a less celebratory mood
The Presidential elections in Azerbaijan will take place on October 9th. Nine candidates will challenge the current President, Ilham Aliyev. Polls show a will for change, but few believe it will be possible
A promenade in Baku's museal system starts at the Haydar Aliyev Center and continues through concrete and futuristic designs. Building the new, however, does not imply maintaining the old
The state in Azerbaijan seems to be strictly in control of religious structures. Yet, many are turning to clerics deluded by social injustice and lack of acceptable forms of opposition
A new law in Azerbaijan that introduces new fines on NGOs has entered into force. Top government representatives accuse local NGOs, western donors and the social media of radicalizing youth
People turned to the streets in the Northern town of Ismayilli, while different protests took place in Baku. Arrests, including of opposition figures, have been the answer of the authorities
Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a bitter conflict. Dialogue between the sides is difficult, but some visits across the border are still happening. The story of an Azerbaijani journalist in Armenia
Last month the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was held in Baku. Amidst doubts on the choice of the host country, the distribution of reports on freedom of expression at the venue was blocked and the computers of assistants to vice-president of the EU commission Neelie Kroes were hacked
Alcuni video, pubblicati su YouTube, mostrano trattative per acquistare un posto nel parlamento dell'Azerbaijan. Scalpore pubblico ma poche reazioni da parte delle autorità preposte. Il governo preferisce concentrarsi sulle intimidazioni nei confronti di giovani oppositori
The long story of Azerbaijani cinema, from a documentary on oil gushes filmed in 1898 to Soviet-time musicals, and its bleak situation today. The government tries to help the local industry by banning foreign TV series and shows on local TVs, but hope comes from young directors
As soon as the Eurovision song contest ended, Azerbaijan was once again out of the world media spotlight. Baku's authorities did not lose any time getting back to cracking down on international human rights organizations and local activists
This week, Baku hosts the most expensive Eurovision song contest ever. The government sees it as a chance to boost its image abroad, while human rights activists see it as a unique chance to put in the spotlight the dire state of democracy in the country
In Azerbajian, many more boys than girls are born every year. This is related to the widespread practice of sex-selective abortions, a phenomenon that is also occurs in neighbouring Armenia and Georgia. Stories from Baku
Azerbaijan's authorities have intensified their efforts to improve the country's image abroad, hiring PR companies and lobbyists around Europe to burnish its image. Lavish business meetings and events ostensibly dedicated to culture are meant to boost the country's image abroad and make people forget about democratic shortcomings and human rights violations at home
International Alert, an NGO based in London working on conflict resolution, did a study on how people on opposite sides of the conflicts in the South Caucasus perceived each other. Our correspondent focused on how Armenians were depicted in online discourse in Baku. An insiders' look into the dark side of the Azerbaijani blogosphere
The consortium controlling Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas field should decide by April 2012 which pipeline will take its gas to Europe once Shah Deniz II becomes fully operational in 2017. There are three established candidates and a late newcomer supported by BP. Who will win the contract? And what about Cardinal Richelieu?
In Soviet Azerbaijan, most people took their holidays in sanatoriums in Azerbaijan or other parts of the Union. Nowadays, sanatoriums in Azerbaijan are often rundown while those in Russia have become much more expensive. Seaside locations in Georgia and Turkey are preferred destinations among those who can afford it, but for many Azerbaijanis, holidays are an unaffordable luxury
The city centre of Baku, Azerbaijan's capital city, has seen plenty of resident evictions and demolitions of old buildings lately, as developers clear paths for luxury real estate projects and fancy new boulevards. Although the demolition of the premises of several local NGOs raised criticism from international observers, it does not appear city authorities have any will to change their approach to urban planning
