That’s why it is necessary to show what actually happens behind the curtain of these events.

At the same time, when you talk about #Azerbaijan to an audience where a significant portion may not even know where the country is located — and whose awareness of it comes mainly from events like #Formula 1 and #Eurovision, often used for whitewashing — context becomes essential.

“If young people in Azerbaijan started protesting — a real Gen Z wave — would anyone inside the country dare to report it?”
It was difficult to answer this question, given the latest crackdown aimed at silencing almost everyone and preventing any form of criticism.
correctiv.org/aktuelles/in...

With the weekend approaching, it’s time to treat myself and enjoy the upcoming Halloween celebrations with wonderful friends 🎃✨

After the panel, I spoke with a Turkish academic about the painful similarities our countries and the feeling of losing your place in your homeland while searching for belonging elsewhere.
Despite the exhaustion of long trips, meeting incredible people and exchanging ideas made it all worth it. 💬💪

I also traveled to Dortmund for the Exile Talks by @correctiv.org. Together with 🇬🇪 activist Gaga Gogoladze and moderator @mdeinyan.bsky.social, we discussed Repression and the Fight for Free Media in the SC.
Before the panel, I was interviewed by Salon5’s team about the ongoing crackdown in🇦🇿.

2/2 Following our coverage of the story, pro-government media reported that “Mehdiyev repeatedly proposed his plan to overthrow the state to #Russia; however, since Russia didn’t see any ‘prospect’ in it, it informed the #Azerbaijani government about his plans.”

the question about the return of the #Armenian population to #Karabakh was not answered properly — and, crucially, it was never followed up on.
In a nutshell, I would describe the meeting this way: #Trump was praising himself, #Aliyev was praising Trump, and #Pashinyan was praising both of them.

— a country that has long been the main moderator in negotiations. #Pashinyan and #Aliyev have met in #Moscow several times. It would have been worth asking why Russia has now disappeared from the process.

Another important point that was missed:

What disappointed me — especially as a journalist — about this meeting was that we didn’t hear substantive or challenging questions about the conflict from colleagues who attended. For example, I would have liked to hear a question about #Russia’s role in this conflict

- we have continued to speak out. One of us, Bahruz Samadov, is currently in jail. Still, it is important to note that there is now a very real hope and progress toward achieving peace between two countries that have experienced hatred and conflict for over 30 years.

You can read more about Pasha Holding’s taxi business in Mikroskop Media’s previous investigation. mikroskopmedia.com/2023/06/12/m...

This is not the first time local TV broadcasters and online media have worked to lay the groundwork for business ventures linked to the presidential family. Back in 2023, a similar media push was used to prepare public opinion for Pasha Holding’s entry into the taxi market.