Articles by Arzu Geybullayeva

Bloggers in Azerbaijan back to freedom

15/12/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Emin and Adnan were arrested in July 2009. Their detention and later arrest was harshly criticized by local and international organizations. Documents published by Wikileaks suggest that US leadership asked that the two bloggers be “quietly released”

Azerbaijan: "Come, vote, elect"

05/11/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

On 7 November Azerbaijan will hold its parliamentary elections, but international observers with the OSCE election observation mission have expressed concerns about a number of issues. Nonetheless, amid a low-key electoral campaign, there are opposition candidates among the choices

Baku, is it Asia or Europe?

12/10/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

The novel "Ali and Nino" tells about the love between an Azerbaijani and a Georgian teenager. Depicted as symbols of Asia and Europe, they meet in the Caucasus and there can be united. Almost one century after Ali and Nino was published, can the Caucasus be European and can it be united?

Oil, Afghanistan and progress

17/08/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

The United States’ willingness to overlook Azerbaijan's democratic and human rights records was revealed by the recent visit of Secretary of State Clinton to Azerbaijan’s capitol, Baku. Azerbaijan has become more important, not only as an oil and gas-rich country, but also for the transit of troops to Afghanistan

Azerbaijan, in attesa delle elezioni

03/08/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

C'è chi ha proposto di rinunciare alle elezioni per finanziare il fondo pensionistico. Ciononostante, le elezioni in Azerbaijan si terranno puntualmente a novembre. Ma recenti modifiche alla legge elettorale riducono gli spazi di manovra per l'opposizione

Caucasus: New media, new social networks and old conflicts

16/06/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

In the Caucasus, social networking and new media help build bridges among communities divided by long conflicts. More initiatives now work in this direction

Azerbaijan construction boom: good or bad?

07/05/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

A construction boom is dramatically transforming the urban face of Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku, yet questions are being raised about the sustainability of the process, especially where historical districts are concerned

Novruz is coming, spring is coming

22/03/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Novruz, a Zoroastrian holiday, marks the beginning of spring. Prohibited but celebrated discreetly in Soviet years, Novruz is now one of the most anticipated holidays in Azerbaijan


Double standards or fair approach?

10/02/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Russia and European Union member states have shown different approaches to the South Caucasus. Finding some common ground with Russia might help resolve the conflicts in the region

Voting In Azerbaijan

08/01/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Local elections in Azerbaijan have been accompanied by allegations of fraud. The limited electoral participation can be explained by the local administrations' lack of real power and the lack of authentic democratic competition

Grand Finale

17/11/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Emin and Adnan, two young activist-bloggers earlier detained in Baku, Azerbaijan on charges that many international organizations consider fabricated, were condemned to serve heavy prison terms

Azerbaijan, the enduring struggle after 1989

30/10/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

In Azerbaijan, intellectual elites began a long struggle for independence and democracy in the 1970s. This story chronicles Azerbaijan's journey after 1989 through a difficult transition, war, and instability

An Azeri village in Georgia

16/10/2009 -  Arzu GeybullayevaOnnik Krikorian Karajala

Our correspondents from Baku and Yerevan, Arzu Geybullayeva and Onnik Krikorian, visited an ethnic Azeri village in Karajala, eastern Georgia. A photo-reportage

Between music and poetry

01/10/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Mugham is a symbol of Azerbaijan's traditional culture. Much more than music played with traditional instruments following a precise style, it is also poetry, inspiration, and improvisation

Not a matter of taste

02/09/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Among those who voted for Armenia's representative on the Eurovision song contest, which took place in Moscow last May, there were 43 people from Azerbaijan. A few weeks ago, the Azeri police interrogated them about why they voted the way they did

Facing violence at home

18/08/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Domestic violence is a taboo topic in Azerbaijan. Every attempt to discuss issues that touch the private, family realm is perceived as a threat to the country's national identity

Youth activists and bloggers detained

20/07/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada have been recently detained in Azerbaijan because of apparently groundless accusations. Despite inquiries to the local authorities by foreign embassies in Baku, they are still being held in jail

Bittersweet relief for NGOs in Azerbaijan

08/07/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

Recent amendments to the law on NGOs in Azerbaijan have been milder than earlier expected. And while the local NGO community is relieved, there is some dissatisfaction and worry that the struggle is not over yet

North of Tehran

30/06/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

In spite of the fact that there's a large Azeri minority in Iran - up to one fourth of the population - state-run media, as well as public officials in Azerbaijan, largely ignored the protests taking place across the border

La verità è là fuori

26/06/2009 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

A causa delle nuove leggi sui mezzi di comunicazione e sulle trasmissioni radiotelevisive, il numero di giornalisti arrestati in Azerbaijan è in preoccupante aumento