Authors

Discussion

Despite being deemed weak and distrusted locally, post-Soviet civil societies are still seen by many as important actors of democratization. Previous studies have established that one of the major problems of civil society, particularly in the South Caucasus, is the dominance of donor-dependent and professionalized NGOs detached from and not accountable to ordinary citizens. After gaining independence, Azerbaijan also saw a proliferation of domestic NGOs working in various fields, mainly intending to contribute to reforms - until the entire NGO sector was paralyzed in the wake of 2013-2015 when the authoritarian ruling elite targeted the independent civil society through legislation and repression. Over the past years, however, new civic actors, such as environmental and feminist communities as well as social protest groups, have entered the scene and pushed the state-set boundaries for civil society activism. Following the assumption that more professionalization led NGOs to disengage from wider society and made it an easier target for the authorities in Azerbaijan, this study will explore how civil society is reshaping following the crackdown. It will be examined whether the new informal civic actors are functioning more in line with the traditional view linking civil society to democracy.