Azerbaijan celebrates National Revival Day

On November 17, Azerbaijan celebrates a national holiday known as National Revival Day.

In 1988, on this day, the first mass protest rallies against the policies of the central authorities of the USSR began on Lenin Square (today Freedom Square) in Baku. For the first time, slogans with the words “sovereignty” and “independence” were heard, and the tricolor flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was raised.

A few days later, the square was cordoned off by internal troops; later the protesters were dispersed, and many were arrested.

Almost two years later, on October 18, 1991, the state independence of Azerbaijan was restored.

Последние новости
An Ingush refugee whose extradition Russia had requested has been released in Croatia
Human rights
An Ingush refugee whose extradition Russia had requested has been released in Croatia
12 June 2026

Magomed-Amin Gatagazhev, a native of Ingushetia, was released after eight months in a Croatian immigration prison. Russian authorities had requested his extradition. The refugee was accepted by the neighboring republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following Moscow's criticism, Karapetyan demanded the annulment of the Armenian election results
Politics
Following Moscow's criticism, Karapetyan demanded the annulment of the Armenian election results
12 June 2026

The Strong Armenia party, affiliated with Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, sent a request to the Central Electoral Commission demanding the annulment of the Armenian parliamentary election results.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the release of Azerbaijani independent press representatives
Human rights
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the release of Azerbaijani independent press representatives
12 June 2026

The International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed strong disapproval of the prison terms requested by the prosecutor for nine activists and journalists from Toplum TV, which range from 13 to 16 years. Gulnoza Said, CPJ program coordinator, emphasized that such harsh punishments demonstrate the Azerbaijani authorities' desire to respond to courageous reporting and sow a climate of fear.
Muslim Murdiyev's mother called on the president and the head of Chechnya to protect him in prison
Human rights
Muslim Murdiyev's mother called on the president and the head of Chechnya to protect him in prison
11 June 2026

15-year-old Chechen boy Muslim Murdiyev was transferred from a Moscow pretrial detention center to a juvenile correctional facility in the Volgograd region. The boy's mother appealed to Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, asking them to ensure her son's safety.