“Azerbaijan was heading to a new era, but ended up in a full-scale dictatorship” Interview with various human rights defenders in Azerbaijan. —DAVE ELSEROAD: What is the situation for human rights in Azerbaijan today, and how has it changed in recent years? HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER ONE (HRD 1): Since the summer of 2023, we’ve seen a massive, non-stop crackdown on the entire Azerbaijan civil society. HRD 1: There’s a strong smear campaign against civil society, this time it even targets the GONGOs [government-organized non-governmental organizations]. HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER FOUR (HRD 4): The government of Azerbaijan has been dismantling civil society for decades.