Stories about Azerbaijan from September, 2010
Hungary: AGRI Pipeline Project
The Hungarian Spectrum writes – here and here – about the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) natural gas pipeline project and Hungary's possible involvement in it.
Azerbaijan: Obama calls for bloggers’ release
Dönməzlik blog [AZ] says that it was surprised to discover that US President Barack Obama raised the issue of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two video blogging youth activists imprisoned on charges of hooliganism by a court in Baku, with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, at the UN General Assembly....
Azerbaijan: Journalists to visit Sweden ahead of November vote
Gulara Azimzadeh's blog reports that seven journalists from Azerbaijan will visit Stockholm to see how the media covered the 2010 elections in Sweden. The journalists were selected after a competition held by the Azerbaijan Media Center as the country prepares for its own parliamentary vote this November and recounts the...
Azerbaijan: Bloqosfer 2010
Bloqosfer 2010, an event bloggers in Azerbaijan had been looking forward to for about two months, was held on 10-12 September in the resort town of Nabran. Over 100 established bloggers took their place beside emerging ones, new media specialists and Internet experts, business stakeholders, and representatives from civil society as well as the authorities.
Azerbaijan: Bloggers to require registration?
As the use of new and social media starts to surface in the run-up to the 7 November parliamentary election in Azerbaijan, In Mutatione Fortitudo reports that there are now calls for bloggers to be considered similar to journalists. While on the surface such a suggestion sounds positive, the accompanying...
Azerbaijan: As elections approach, social networking steps in
On 7 November, Azerbaijan will once again head to the polls to cast their ballots in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The pre-election campaign won't officially start until 23 days before election day itself, but there already some signs of activity appearing on Facebook.
Azerbaijan: Back Home
AZ Cookbook has returned from its native Azerbaijan and posted photographs of the visit. Naturally, given the nature of the blog, it also takes readers on a culinary as well as cultural pictorial tour of the country.
Azerbaijan: Freedom of expression a pressing concern
Ahead of the 7 November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on a new report by Article 19 on freedom of expression in the oil-rich former Soviet republic. With journalists and bloggers in jail much to the concern of the international community, the blog agrees that...
Caucasus: Expedition 206
Having already visited Georgia, Expedition 206 arrived in Armenia. The initiative, sponsored by Coca-Cola, will see three bloggers visit 206 countries in 365 days. iReport [AM] posts photographs as well as an account of the travelers meeting with 20 local bloggers and says that they will travel to Azerbaijan tomorrow....
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Backseat musical musings… and ethnic conflict
With the broadcast media heavily controlled in both Armenia and Azerbaijan there are few avenues left for independent journalists. Bloggers in both countries, however, react to a video posted online.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Social Networking and Conflict Resolution
Global Chaos details the hacking of the personal Facebook page of one young ethnic Armenian by someone presumably in Azerbaijan. Although new and social media tools are increasingly being used in peace-building initiatives to resolve the long-running conflict between the two countries over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the...
Azerbaijan: Opposition bloc unveiled
Tamada Tales comments on news that two opposition parties, Musavat and the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, have formed an election bloc to contend 90 of the 125 seats up for grabs in November's parliamentary election. However, the blog notes, while some are willing to give it the “benefit of the...
Azerbaijan: Ramadan in Sheki
Sheki, Azerbaijan comments on observing Ramadan in Azerbaijan. The blog says that the holiday is a time for sharing and remembering relatives that have passed away as well as those also marking the tradition.
Azerbaijan: Baku welcomes the world's highest flag… and a strong wind
After the significant expense of participating in the Eurovision song contest and holding the annual Flower Festival, oil-rich Azerbaijan keeps on surprising the world. Last week, for example, the world's highest flag was hoisted in the capital, Baku.
Azerbaijan: I want my children and your children together…
vhsoy posts a video of imprisoned video blogging Azerbaijani youth activist Emin Milli speaking at a forum in the House of Commons in 2008. Emin Milli was detained in July the following year, along with fellow activist Adnan Hajizade, before being sentenced to 2.5 in prison that November on what...
Azerbaijan: World's highest flag hits a snag
Aaron in Azerbaijan [EN] posts photographs of the world's tallest flag pole newly erected in the center of Baku, the capital of the oil-rich republic. However, d'Effektiv blog [AZ] reflects on the fuss around the record-breaking construction unveiled two days ago ahead of an official visit by the Russian president...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Time for peaceful coexistence
In another guest post on The Caucasian Knot, youth activist and student Marine Ejuryan reflects on the negative stereotypes in play between Armenia and Azerbaijan because of the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. However, she notes, positive examples of peaceful coexistence are rarely if ever mentioned in the media and...
Azerbaijan: Free imprisoned bloggers
A petition has been started urging U.S. President Barack Obama to raise the issue of imprisoned video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, at the United Nations General Assembly this month. The petition can be signed online here.
