Altay Göyüşov

From Military Victory to Diplomatic Expansion: Azerbaijan’s Strategic Evolution Altay Goyushov, visiting scholar at CERI, has contributed to Regards sur l’Eurasie - L’Année politique 2025 with an analysis of Azerbaijan’s ambitions after the 2020 Karabakh victory. In this interview linked to his article, he discusses how Azerbaijan’s foreign policy has evolved, from pragmatic geopolitical balancing to a more assertive regional strategy, and how energy diplomacy, engagement with the Global South, and growing transit ambitions are reshaping its international profile. A timely reflection on Azerbaijan’s regional influence and its implications for Eurasian geopolitics. sciencespo.fr/ceri/en/news/f…

The discourse of both pro-government media in Azerbaijan and significant segments of the nationalist opposition often frames the situation of ethnic Turkic people in Iran’s Azerbaijan provinces through the language of national liberation. Within this narrative, separatist aspirations among these communities are portrayed in a sympathetic and legitimizing light. At the same time, Azerbaijani authorities have consistently characterized the now-imprisoned Armenian leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh as illegitimate and terrorist, a framing that Azerbaijani nationalist opposition groups have largely adopted as well. This contrast illustrates how similar political phenomena can be evaluated differently depending on their alignment with prevailing national sentiments and political narratives.

Pattern continues: the same day the President of the European Council, António Costa, visited Azerbaijan and dictator Aliyev praised the rapid development of economic relations with the EU, his kangaroo courts sentenced two of his critics to 12 and 7 years in prison. Just a reminder: overt ignorance of repression in Azerbaijan will not add to safety or security in the region and wider Europe. This ignorance also goes hand in hand with the simultaneous promotion of Aliyev’s propaganda on the international stage by Western-linked institutions, international organizations, and parts of academia.

Women in Azerbaijan, 2025 bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/women-in-az…

Lukashenko released 11 female political prisoners for March 8. Aliyev still refuses to free nine jailed female journalists. Yet Davos hosts the Belarusian opposition — and the Azerbaijani dictator. The logic of our time.

Nine Azerbaijani women journalists jailed by dictator Aliyev.

Article by Marie Jego, including my comments lemonde.fr/international/…

I repeat once again: we are fed up with the repression of the Azeri dictator, the destruction of Azerbaijani civil society, independent media, and the widespread corruption of his regime. He has stolen our country from us. He is an ally of the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Israel, and other countries. You continue to support him because it serves your interests. Yet those interests come at the cost of our freedom and our lives. We call on you to demand that your ally end the repression and release all political prisoners immediately. By supporting this regime, you also bear responsibility for the ongoing repression in Azerbaijan.

The US, UK, EU, and Israel must step up pressure on the Azerbaijani government to release political prisoners. It is a disgrace that at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos one panel hosts a Belarusian opposition leader while another gives a platform to Azerbaijan’s authoritarian ruler. Human rights cannot be selective. We refuse to remain victims of geopolitical rivalries.

Science and Education in Azerbaijan: Are We Advancing or Regressing? bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/science-and…

By Atakhan Abilov Civic Nation and Ethnic Identity in the Context of Azerbaijan bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/civic-natio…

GDP Growth Forecasts of Former Soviet Countries: bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/former-sovi…

We discussed yesterday the possibility of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Gaidz Minasyan at Sciences Po, in an event moderated by Bayram Balci. I hope the discussion was interesting for the participants.

New publication: Women’s Political Participation in Azerbaijan: Problems and Necessary Steps bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/womens-poli…

Banking Sector of the South Caucasus Countries – 2025 bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/banking-sec…

The true criminals are those who betrayed the Constitution and reduced the Republic to an absolute monarchy. oc-media.org/two-exiled-aze…

BRI's new research: "A 50,000-strong troll army in Azerbaijan" bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/a-50000-str…

FYI: Pro-government media have just reported that I have been sentenced in absentia to six years in prison by an Azerbaijani court on alleged charges of calling for actions against the lawful government of Azerbaijan.

BRI Economic Team's new research: Layoffs Under the Guise of ‘Optimization’ in State-Funded Organizations bakuresearchinstitute.org/en/layoffs-und…