Baku accuses the US of “having sympathy of all Armenians”
Azerbaijani opposition says no to corruption, plunder and monarchy
“Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the CIS membership, and We believe that the organization has come a long way and withstood the test of time throughout 25 years,” said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during the meeting of the CIS Heads of State in Bishkek. He added, “Our organization was established as a result of certain historical events and thanks to the wisdom of our peoples and leaders, after 25 years, we have this organization which is of great importance both for the region and world because the geography of our organization is quite large”.
Attaching importation to CIS, Aliyev did not miss the opportunity to once again pandering to the Russian President. Aliyev’s conduct actually has deep reasons. Today, the development in Azerbaijan are truly remarkable and worthy of observation.
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On September 26, a constitutional referendum will be held in Azerbaijan. On September 11, Azerbaijani opposition held a multi-thousand rally in Baku against the constitutional amendments. For the first time, the protesters were chanting Aliyev: “Go away.” Popular Front leader Ali Kerimli has said, “We say no to corruption, plundering people, unjust courts, incapable governance and monarchy. Aliyev family is amending the Constitution for the third time to strengthen its position. With the first referendum, the transition of power from father to son was guaranteed, with the second referendum – right to his unlimited power was approved.”
With Constitutional amendments, it is suggested to extend the term of office of the president by making it 7 years from 5 years, in addition, it enables the country president to dissolve the parliament unequivocally. If until now, the candidate to become a leader of the country must be at least 35 years old, now, it is suggested to remove this restriction and lower the threshold of becoming a lawmaker to age 18 instead of 25. Azerbaijani opposition thinks that all this is done for Aliyev’s son, junior Heydar’s political future. Ilham Aliyev’s third presidential term ends in 2018. If he runs for the fourth time, which he already has the right, then he will run the office until 2025. Azerbaijani experts believe that by the time, his son will be 28 years, which means that he will have the opportunity to be nominated for the president.
The oil dollars reaches the US Congress, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament
Ahead of the referendum scheduled for September 26, the US harshly criticized the Aliyev regime. The Lantos Commission following the Human Rights in the world has invited “Liberty” RFE/RL investigative journalist, recently released from detention Khadija Ismayilova, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Kauzlarich, and head of the “Popular Front of Azerbaijan” party Ali Kerimli’s son to the Congress. It is time for official Washington to define sanctions against Azerbaijan for continued violations of human rights, the participants of the Congress shared this opinion. “Targeted sanctions against corrupt officials, prosecutors and judges can be a very effective tool to keep the Azerbaijani authorities back from aggressive repressions,” – said the journalist Khadija Ismayilova, emphasizing, “Azerbaijan’s widespread corruption is not only an internal problem, the oil dollars are coming out of the country reaching the US Congress, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. It is necessary to stop this machine with clear messages and restrictions.”
The situation of human rights in Azerbaijan is increasingly deteriorating, said former US Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich, “I admit that Azerbaijan is an important partner for Washington in the energy sector and to combat terrorism, however, it should not affect our principles. Strategic relationships require common values, including a commitment to the protection of human rights and democracy. While, the suggested constitutional amendments in Azerbaijan further remove the country from these principles. The backstage diplomacy, in this case, does not give results.” He expresses an opinion that the United States must give up its “peaceful diplomacy” as it does not work, and actively confront Aliyev’s government, “Peaceful diplomacy has transformed the political prisoners into an object of speculation.” Later, Kauzlarich urged the official Washington to pass to open and transparent moves, “This could include the temporary recall of the US Ambassador from Azerbaijan for holding discussions on the deteriorating human rights situation, the freezing of accounts for senior officials responsible for these violations or the blocking of visas.”
Draft of sanctions against Aliyev’s administration
It is not a good period in the US-Azerbaijan relations for a long time. Since last December, the US sanctions against Aliyev’s regime were circulating. Chris Smith, a Republican and a member of the US House of Representatives came up with this legislative initiative. He particularly was suggesting to refuse to issue a visa to high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan. “We accept that the US-Azerbaijani ties are important for national security and economic cooperation between our countries, but the US can no longer turn a blind eye to terrible violations of human rights in Azerbaijan,” said Chris Smith last year in December at the Helsinki Commission hearings. “In 2015, the draft consists of 14 pages entitled “An act on Democracy in Azerbaijan” was submitted to the Foreign Relations Committee of the Congress. The document suggests almost the same sanctions which were once defined against Belarus. The author of the draft noted that in the case of the approval of the document by the Congress, the senior officials of the Azerbaijani government, as well as their family members will be promptly deprived of the permit to enter the US. The document also suggests to revise the financial aid to Azerbaijan, calls on to block the US assets belonging to Azerbaijani officials and their family members.
Baku has “found” the reason for criticizing the Azerbaijan authorities by the US
In recent years, on every occasion when a criticism addressed to the Azerbaijani authorities are voiced from the US, official Baku points to its “convenient” excuse. In Baku, such congressmen are immediately accused of having a “pro-Armenian” position, calling them to be under the influence of the “Armenian lobby”, not forgetting to intimidate that the “biased” approach may negatively affect “the reputation of the US in Azerbaijan.”
The US reputation in Azerbaijan was “jeopardized” long ago, the anti-American sentiments here are gradually heating up. A new opportunity recently served the article “It is the time for the US to take measurements against Azerbaijan” by former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, professor of George Mason University, Richard Kauzlarich and Director of McCain Institute for human rights and democracy, David Kramer, which was published in the US prestigious periodical “The Washington Post”.
The authors of the article thought that the dangerous deteriorations in human rights in Azerbaijan require decisive actions by the United States, “In Baku, the government has started dozens of new persecutions and arrests against opposition politicians, peaceful religious believers and civil society activists. About 100 political prisoners are dying in prisons of the country. Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli is arrested at the airport of the country and he is forbidden to leave the country. Financial Director of “Azadliq” political newspaper and assistant to the head of “People’s Front of Azerbaijan”, Faig Amirli, was arrested last month. In August, other opposition politicians, including the executive secretary of REAL Movement Natig Jafarli and NIDA civil movement activist Elgis Kahraman, as the authors remind, are arrested. The situation can become worse in the place. On September 26, Aliyev’s administration is planning to impose a referendum, with which he aims to strengthen his power. The results of the referendum are already known. We can be confident that the Government will pass it in its support.”
According to the authors of the article, Azerbaijan follows the media tactics of Vladimir Putin by presenting “the United States as an enemy.” Kramer and Kauzlarich think that the US should think over recalling its ambassador for consultations against the background of concerns about human rights in Azerbaijan and anti-American rhetoric, “Incidentally, Europeans should also be included in these measurements. Such steps should be taken until all political prisoners are released, and the referendum empowering Aliyev’s power is canceled.”
The above article has truly caused a wave of hysteria in Azerbaijan. Pro-government Haqqin Agency almost “declares a war” to the US in its editorial, noting that the US has sympathy for Armenia and all Armenians, and as an evidence, for example, it is illustrated that the US Embassy to Armenia has posted the Olympic Games champion Artur Aleksanyan’s photo on its Facebook page, where he was wearing a T-shirt with the photo of hero Robert Abajyan who was deceased in the April 4-day war.
The most ridiculous, however, are the “counterblow-clams” of pro-government Haqqin.az editor-in-chief Eynulla Fatullayev in response to David Kramer’s and Richard Kauzlarich’s article. Former political prisoners and politically persecuted Fatullayev, who is now the Aliyev regime’s attendant demands the US ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Sekuta to send a protest note to the internal affairs of Azerbaijan for directly interfering, to recall the Azerbaijani ambassador from the US and to cease the cooperation with the US on defense and security issues, to recall the Azerbaijani peacekeeping troops from Afghanistan, to prohibit the flights of the US air forces over the air space of Azerbaijan, declare about the change of foreign political course, to start the EU and CU integration process, to expand military-political cooperation with Russia, Turkey and Iran, to cease the activities of USAID in Azerbaijan has, to strictly monitor the grants coming from the United States and so on.
In short, the number one claim of the Azerbaijani press and experts in recent weeks running in the red thread is to give a “worthy” response to the US and as a suggested outcome – ” establishment of close relations with Russia.”
Emma GABRIELYAN
“Aravot” Daily
20.09.2016
