Washington, D.C. — July 10 — Renowned Azerbaijani war correspondent and community leader Gulbeniz Arifqızı has passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was widely respected for her frontline journalism during the First Karabakh War and for her work uniting Azerbaijani women abroad.
Arifqızı began her journalism career in 1991, covering conflict zones such as Fuzuli, Beylagan, Aghdam, Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Khojavand. Her radio segments, including “Towards the Frontline” and “Mother”, featured powerful interviews with soldiers and gave voice to the emotional toll of war.
Starting in 1992, she contributed to several leading Azerbaijani publications, including Ordu and Ədalət newspapers.
In 1997, she relocated to the United States, where she founded the Azerbaijani-American Women’s Association, a cultural and advocacy group focused on empowering women within the diaspora and promoting Azerbaijani heritage abroad.
Her legacy lives on through her reporting, her voice from the frontlines, and her decades of dedication to the Azerbaijani community, both at home and abroad.
Gulbeniz Arifqızı is remembered as a trailblazer, a patriot, and a voice for her people in times of war and peace.
