Nigar Fatali

Journalist

United States

I am a print, online and multimedia journalist from Azerbaijan. I write about global and local politics, culture, human rights and public health. I have a Master's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona, where I was an Edmund S. Muskie fellow. During my studies I interned with Arizona Public Media and Foreign Policy Association, and was the president of the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Portfolio

Film Reviews

Meydan
02/16/2014
CinemAN Film Reviews Week 4: Oscar 2014

In my family Academy Awards ceremony was always something of a holiday, minus presents. We anticipated it in excitement making our predictions. Given the time difference between Baku and Los Angeles, we would wake up at 5 a.m. (for the record, nothing else can wake my family before 10 a.m.)

Meydan
02/07/2014
CinemAN Film Reviews Week 3: Philip Seymour Hoffman Week

Philip Seymour Hoffman is gone. It will take us a while to grasp on the scale of this tragedy. Not only because the great actor's kryptonite was a destructive poisonous drug; not only because he was only 46 and left behind three young children; but also because from now on every time there is a brilliant film with an intriguing character, we will wonder, even for a second, if he would have done it better.

Meydan
01/31/2014
CinemAN Film Reviews - Week 2

This week is all about strong male leads. I didn't intent it that way, but went with the flow. I have to say, it was a great journey. Say Anything... - United States, 1989 Director, writer: Cameron Crowe Stars: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney and others.

Meydan
01/23/2014
CinemAN Film Reviews - Week 1

Silver Linings Playbook - United States, 2012 Director, writer: David O. Russell Based on the novel by Matthew Quick Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles and others. Pat Solitano (Cooper), diagnosed bipolar, moves in with his parents after months in a mental institution.

Meydan
01/18/2014
365 Days of CinemAN.

I am going to watch 365 films this year. Care to join? More than two weeks into 2014 I have finally figured out what I wanted to do for my New Year's resolution. First I wanted to be pretentious and give myself a vague task, something about enjoying every moment, and convince myself that I followed it at the end of the year.

News Coverage and Opinion for Meydan TV

Meydan
03/14/2014
When Puppets Are Ready to Serve

As Russian troops secure their positions in Crimea, Ukraine, information war is reaching its full capacity, and so do state propaganda and the government crackdown on independent media in Russia. Since the beginning of the Euromaidan protest in November 2013, the few remaining independent news outlets faced difficult times.

Meydan
02/20/2014
The Case Against Khadija Ismayil (LIVE BLOG)

UPD FEB 21] Two influential European MPs - Ana Gomes, the Socialist spokesperson on foreign affairs, and Barbara Lochbiler, the chair of the Human Rights sub-committee wrote an open letter to the High Representative of the EU in foreign affairs Catherine Ashton and the Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Commissioner Stefan Fule, calling the accusations against Ms. Ismayil a reminiscence of the repressive Soviet practices, when dissidents were accused of being "foreign spies."

Meydan
02/09/2014
Turkey Deports Azerbaijani Journalist Over Criticism

On Friday Turkish authorities deported Mahir Zeynalov, Azerbaijani-national columnist for Today's Zaman. According to Zaman, the deportation was carried out because of Zeynalov's criticism of the Turkish government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally. In his opinion piece published today on Al Arabia, Zeynalov claimed his immigration documents were intact and his residence permit allowed him to stay until March 10.

Meydan
01/23/2014
We Are Isa's World

Isa Shahmarli, 20, was the chairman of Azad LGBT (Free LGBT) group in Azerbaijan. Yesterday he hanged himself for one simple reason - he was gay. In his last message to the world that he posted on his Facebook page, Isa, whose name means Jesus in Arabic, said: "This world is not strong enough to bear my colors.

Meydan
01/22/2014
Human Rights Watch Criticizes Azerbaijan's Poor Record

In its annual World Report 2014 New York-based Human Rights Watch criticized Azerbaijan's human rights record on a number of issues: freedom of speech and assembly, arrests of political activists and journalists, restrictive changes in the legislation, forced evictions, etc.

Meydan
01/18/2014
War Veteran Dies After Self-immolation in Baku.

On December 25 in an act of suicide witnessed by his 11-year-old daughter and bystanders, Zaur Hasanov, second group disabled Nagorno-Karabakh war veteran set himself on fire in front of the Trade Unions Confederation building in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. Yesterday he passed away from sustained injuries.

Meydan
01/15/2014
The Life of a Grandmaster

On January 14, 2014 Vugar Gashimov, Azerbaijani chess Grandmaster and one of the world's top players, was buried in the Alley of Honor in Baku, Azerbaijan after a long battle with brain tumor. The wake, which took place at the Republic Chess Center was attended by family, friends, colleagues and loyal fans, who came to say goodbye to the legendary player.

Foreign Policy Association Blog

Foreignpolicyblogs
Baku Protests Foreign Policy's Assertion of Airbase Access for Israel

It's just so hard to launch an international bash these days. Everyone's a critic. Just ask Azerbaijan. Preparations for Eurovision, one of Europe's biggest song contests to be held in May in Baku, are regularly sidetracked either by criticism of the country dismal human rights record, or allegations of the country's silent involvement in Iran-Israeli nuclear crisis, though the government continues to deny any role.

Foreignpolicyblogs
UPDATE: Peaceful Activists Arrested, Amnesty International Reports Torture Fears

The sanctioned peaceful protest that took place in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Saturday, March 17 resulted in arrest of three activists. Members of Bulistan band Jamal Ali, 24, and Natig Kamilov, 24, and another activist Etibar Salmanli, 25, were arrested after a fight that broke during Ali's performance.

International Media

Internationalpeaceandconflict
08/25/2009
Georgia on my mind: Gudauri

Yesterday I made a "To do" list for September and October. Realizing the load of work I'm going to do I started thinking about cloning. Yes, I wish I could be cloned. *** The very first Armenian (except Bakuvians) I met at the very first Conflict Resolution conference I attended was a guy named M.

Student Work