Azerbaijan is set for another early presidential election on February 7th, with a pre-election climate that can be best described as a standstill – characterized by meagre political citizen rights, prevalent societal apathy, and vicious cycles of repression of opponents and critics. Similar to other autocracies such as Turkmenistan and Venezuela, elections in Azerbaijan have largely become nominal, serving neopatrimonial interests rather than adhering to legal-rational principles. The country’s…
