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BAKU: Azeri president becoming nominal leader - former pro-governmen

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  • BAKU: Azeri president becoming nominal leader - former pro-governmen

    Azeri president becoming nominal leader - former pro-government editor

    Azadliq, Baku
    4 Sep 04

    There have recently been reports that Karabakh's fate is in danger. The
    fact that the Azerbaijani government is not giving any information
    about the peace talks and the activists of the Karabakh Liberation
    Organization [KLO] have been illegally arrested shows that these
    reports are serious. Mahal Ismayiloglu, former editor-in-chief of the
    [state-run] newspaper Xalq Qazeti, is also concerned that the recent
    happenings might be preparations for a defeatist agreement on Karabakh.

    [Ismayiloglu] The great powers might be trying to ensure that
    the Karabakh conflict is settled and a peace agreement is signed
    so they are exerting pressure on Azerbaijan to accept their
    conditions. [President] Ilham Aliyev's next visit to France
    can be related to the Karabakh issue as well. The Key West talks
    [Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents' talks in the USA in 2001] are
    back on the agenda again with only minor changes and Ilham Aliyev
    is being pressurized. The punishment of the KLO members is also
    connected with this.

    [Correspondent] How would you assess the conviction of the KLO members?

    [Ismayiloglu] I have doubts about the national identity of Famil
    Nasibov, the judge who tried and convicted the KLO members. What
    is the nationality of the judge who sentenced those struggling with
    Azerbaijan's long-time pain? Does he have the right to live in this
    country at all?

    [Correspondent] What do you think about Ilham Aliyev's attitude
    towards this arrest?

    [Ismayiloglu] He said that he allegedly had no idea about this. But it
    was quite obvious that the trial was a farce and had been ordered. If
    the head of state has no idea about this, then who was behind the
    order? Why did the court issue a ruling that is against its will
    and why did they ignore the spirit and identity of the Azerbaijani
    people? Then of which people are you the president? If people who stand
    to fight for your land act as mojahedin, maintain the fire that is
    about to go out and are punished so severely, of which country are you
    the leader? His behaviour resembles that of his father [ex-President
    Heydar Aliyev]. If you remember, there used to be pressure on the
    media and opposition leaders. After a while, he would say that he
    had no information about what was going on. But then he said himself
    that he had been watching news bulletins and reading newspapers. If
    he had no information, what was he reading? Now Ilham Aliyev is using
    the same methods. It seems that Ilham Aliyev has to use his father's
    old methods, as he cannot find one himself.

    [Passage omitted: Ismayiloglu comments on developments around a
    scientific arthritis centre]

    [Correspondent] Then why does Ilham Aliyev, as the head of state,
    allow these things to happen?

    [Ismayiloglu] More and more Aliyev looks like the British queen or the
    Norwegian king. I mean they [the British queen or the Norwegian king]
    wield power only nominally.
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