AZERBAIJAN’S PROTEST PARADOX: STRATEGIC AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS OF SILENCE
Why has Iranian Azerbaijan shown a low presence in recent nationwide protest movements, or essentially preferred silence and tranquility? This question becomes even more pronounced given the region’s minimal participation in major socio-political events that occurred in 2009, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2025-26. Although this past December, for two days, some cities in the region, such as Ardabil experienced similar mobilizations as seen in other parts of the country, the protests in Azerbaijan’s provinces and the number of martyrs remained significantly lower compared to other regions. This situation becomes even more complex when we know that Azerbaijan, like other peripheral regions of the country, suffers additional pain from the adverse consequences of centralism and the center’s unjust policies, alongside the usual oppressions.
