

Azerbaijan
Power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution. The authorities have carried out an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent years, leaving little room for independent expression or activism. Azerbaijan won control of a third of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh along with some adjacent land during a weeks-long conflict with Armenia in 2020, at the cost of over 2,700 soldiers.

Freedom in the World — Azerbaijan Country Report
Azerbaijan is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2022, Freedom House's annual study of political rights and civil liberties worldwide.

Freedom on the Net — Azerbaijan Country Report
Azerbaijan is rated Not Free in Freedom on the Net, Freedom House's comprehensive study of internet freedom around the globe.

Nations in Transit — Azerbaijan Country Report
Categorized as a Consolidated Authoritarian regime, Azerbaijan receives a Democracy Percentage of 1 out of 100 in the Nations in Transit 2022 report.
News and Perspectives on Azerbaijan
NEW REPORT: Regional Autocrats Exploiting Instability, Expanding Power from Central Europe to Central Asia
Press release
April 20, 2022
Azerbaijan: Allow Human Rights Court to Investigate Reports of Detainee Torture
Press release
May 11, 2021
NEW REPORT: Attacks on Democracy Intensify as Autocracy Spreads in Europe and Eurasia
Press release
April 28, 2021
Azerbaijan: Authorities Detain Peaceful Activists on International Women’s Day
Press release
March 8, 2021
Azerbaijan: Opposition Leader Sentenced to Years in Prison On Politically Motivated Charges
Press release
September 3, 2020