Uncovering the Truth behind Azerbaijan’s “Ecological” Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh: The Role of Government-Linked Volunteer Organizations in the Lachin Corridor

Abstract:This article presents an analysis of the ongoing blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, which, for almost five months, was under the guise of an ecological protest. It examines the role of volunteer organizations linked to the Azerbaijani government in coordinating the volunteer protestors blocking the Lachin Corridor, as well as the demographic makeup of these volunteers, the majority of whom are students from Azerbaijan’s public universities. The article delves into the origins and objectives of these organizations, as well as the benefits that Azerbaijani youth gain by joining them. The article also touches on the organizations’ next goal, which is to utilize the same student volunteers to influence media coverage of the “West Azerbaijan community,” an initiative introduced by the Azerbaijani government to justify its territorial claims on sovereign Armenian territory. The study contributes to the understanding of the political and social dynamics of the so-called ecological protest in Azerbaijan and its potential consequences for the broader conflict in the region.