Pashinyan, Aliyev bow out of Moscow parade The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan cited the coronavirus for missing the big event, but the real reasons appear to be crises at home. Joshua Kucera Jun 24, 2020
Azerbaijan re-introduces electronic permits to restrict movement as COVID spread worsens The country’s public health officials also have warned that the growing outbreak is straining the country’s health care system. Jun 23, 2020
Hundreds of Azerbaijanis languish on Russian border The labor migrants are trying to return home after losing their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic. Tensions are rising, and a protest on the border has been violently broken up by Russian police. Jun 16, 2020
Azerbaijan imposes second weekend lockdown amid anti-police outrage The authorities have indicated some sensitivity to the public mood, announcing that they are investigating evidence of excessive use of force. Jun 12, 2020
Azerbaijanis rebel against strict weekend lockdown Strict stay-at-home orders did not go over well with many Azerbaijanis, leading to clashes with police officers. Joshua Kucera Jun 8, 2020
Amid renewed COVID-19 outbreak, Azerbaijan introduces strict lockdown The long weekend curfew is modeled after Turkey’s, as the disease is spreading rapidly following the loosening of earlier restrictions. Joshua Kucera Jun 4, 2020
Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks cautiously, anxiously, eye return to familiar patterns Newly restored freedoms in the three countries have not come without problems and worries. Almaz Kumenov, Ayzirek Imanaliyeva May 18, 2020
Eurovision shines a light into Caucasus identity politics This year, Azerbaijan embraces both the Orient and bisexuality, while Georgia complains about the West. Joshua Kucera May 14, 2020
Perspectives | How durable is illiberalism in Eurasia? Part 1 of a 3-part series. Justin Burke May 11, 2020
Several local officials arrested in Azerbaijan for COVID corruption Skeptics say the roundup is a show meant to create the illusion of fighting corruption even as higher-level officials remain untouched. Joshua Kucera May 5, 2020
Uzbekistan: Dam breach sends thousands running for safety Security services have begun investigating possible violations during construction. May 3, 2020
In Uzbekistan’s corner, muscle and pride Introduced after World War I by an American stuck in the Soviet Union, boxing has never been the source of so much national pride. Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska May 1, 2020
Azerbaijanis in lockdown send love letters to their president The trend is evocative of Azerbaijan’s Soviet past, when young pioneers wrote precocious letters to the editor about the nation’s astute leaders. Giorgi Lomsadze Apr 30, 2020
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan implement tentative coronavirus exit strategies Businesses are being allowed to reopen and people to take in some fresh air. Apr 30, 2020
Uzbekistan’s coronavirus information lockdown prompts questions Officials are jealously maintaining control over information while orchestrating suspiciously rosy accounts of a country on the mend. Apr 29, 2020