The topic of the conference, conducted on 13 December 2013 by CNIS  within the  series of round tables devoted to the 95th   anniversary of the first democratic republic (1918-1920), was  “Factors of Power Stability in the Oil Rich States: Cases of Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan”.   At the opening of the conference the director of the Center for National and International  Studies  Leila Alieva  focused on major political challenges , which three Caspian states are facing in their  state and democracy building. She shaped the focus of discussion - the fate of sustainability of domestic...


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The CNIS held its next in the series of “Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ( 1918-1920)  Round Tables” conference on the 8th of February in Baku. The round table was devoted to the political parties and elections and their characteristics in the oil rich post-Soviet states. Development of the democratic institutions in the post-Soviet oil rich states of the Caspian region faces additional to the common soviet legacies structural obstacles. These characteristics include first of all ruling elite’s monopoly over oil and gas resources, which in the absence of the real mechanisms of the public...


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    FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “The proposed Law on Political Parties serves to dismantle the legal framework of the political system.” (Lack of) Human Rights and Liberties The Baku Court of Appeal returned the appeal of the Surakhani District Court regarding the denial of conditional release of human rights defender Elchin Mammad. The NGO “Legal Education of Sumgayit Youth,” headed by Mammad, shared a statement regarding the decision of the court. Mammad regards this as a violation of his right to appeal to the court. Although Mammad had no previous disciplinary...


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      FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “Heydar Aliyev’s return to power is not a day of salvation for our people but a day of defeat of the republic, people's government, republican values, and restoration of family power.” (Lack of) Human Rights and Liberties French police have arrested two people accused of attempting to kill blogger Mahammad Mirzali. One of those arrested was an Azerbaijani citizen and the other a Moldovan of Turkish origin. Police found a machine gun, Mirzali’s photos, and instructions to his home address in their car. The Nantes court sentenced...


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      FB Digest@VoxPOPULI   “The government, which is interested in attracting tourists and investment to the country, would establish a normal judicial, health, and police system in the country.” (Lack of) Human Rights and Liberties The Muslim Union Movement has appealed to human rights organizations, NGOs, and theologians, as well as a number of political and public figures, regarding the hunger strike of the members of the movement in prison. The appeal says: “While this situation has reached this point, it is necessary to address you as the leading...


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