Azerbaijan Under Pressure
Protests in Azerbaijan have been met with a heavy security response. In a nation that depends on oil to keep the economic wheels turning, the continued slump in crude prices, along with the recent drop in value of the national currency, is putting enormous pressure on ordinary people. In recent years President Ilham Aliyev has spent billions on glittering vanity projects, especially in the capital, Baku. But with a government known for corruption and brutality, many Azeris are unimpressed with state spending on the capital’s skyline and the “caviar diplomacy” that has earned the country several recent sporting and cultural events. As the protests continue to simmer, there’s concern that a perfect storm of discontent may be brewing.
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Dancers rest during a beach soccer match at the 1st European Games in Baku in 2015. The decision to host the games in Baku was highly controversial, with Amnesty International saying "Azerbaijan may be a safe country for athletes taking part in the 100 meters, but defending rights and free speech is a dangerous game here. Those who champion them receive harassment and prison sentences instead of medals."
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A man walks on the rubble of demolished houses in Baku. Entire districts were razed in the development of new landmarks in the city of 2 million.
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Baku's Crystal Hall. The iconic arena was completed in time to host the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.
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A boy and a girl stand near nodding donkeys in a refugee camp outside Baku.