Research

Perceptions of Human Rights and Civic Activism in Azerbaijan

An analysis by Zulfiyya Abdurahimova-Carberry, in collaboration with RIWI

Since 2002, Azerbaijan’s democracy score has steadily deteriorated at the hands of it’s authoritarian regime. Freedom of association and expression are restricted and the judiciary lacks legitimacy. Against the backdrop of these developments, tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia reignited in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in July 2020, resulting in a cease-fire statement in November 2020.

RIWI partnered with Zulfiyya Abdurahimova-Carberry to conduct a nationwide online survey to assess perceptions of human rights and civic activism in the context of the war and restricted political environment. Despite these turbulent times, respondents overwhelmingly had a positive view of the future of Azerbaijan.

Read more about our findings in the full report here.

Image Credit: CMoravec licensed under CC BY 2.0