Statue of a Dictator (Aliyev Clan)

Yervant1 · January 23, 2013

How about putting it in a public washroom, where everybody can piss on it.

Yervant1 · January 25, 2013

Mexico City Will Remove 'Dictator' Statue

ABCNews.go.com

Jan 23,

2013

By MANUEL RUEDA (@ruedareport)

A colossal statue of an Eastern European strongman has graced one of

Mexico City's most important avenues since August of last year,

angering or bewildering anyone who has bothered to look into its

background.

The monument depicts Heydar Aliyev, a former president of the oil-rich

nation of Azerbaijan, who is accused of silencing the local press,

profiting from mafia ties and enforcing a cult of personality in the

former Soviet republic.

After several protests by local neighbors -- and a healthy dose of

media coverage -- Mexico City officials have agreed to remove the

statue from its current site on Mexico City's Reforma Avenue, saying

through a press release issued Monday, that they will discuss an

"alternate location" for the statue with the embassy of Azerbaijan.

The Aliyev depiction, nicknamed the "dictator" statue by locals, sits

on the edge of a football-field sized park that was spruced up and

re-landscaped with a $5 million donation from the embassy of

Azerbaijan.

After controversy arose over the statue last year, members of the

committee in charge of overseeing the park's refurbishing said that

they had been informed that a statue of a former Azerbaijani president

would be placed in the park but added that they had not been given any

information on this man's questionable human rights record.

Committee members also said that they tried to stop the project once

they learned about Heydar Aliyev's history, but were ignored by Mayor

Marcelo Ebrard, who had already signed the deal to refurbish the park.

Officials from Mexico City's new government -- which took over from

Ebrard's administration in December -- have openly criticized the

statue, with the city's chief of international relations, Cauhtemoc

Cardenas, saying that this monument "does not honor Mexico City."

But it is worth noting that the statue of President Aliyev was part of

a broader initiative put in place by the previous mayor of Mexico City

to find partners to develop and spruce up green spaces around the

city.

The park in which the Aliyev statue sits is now called the

"Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Park." Along its neat rows of flowers

and pines, you will find a snack shop called café Baku, in honor of

Azerbaijan's capital city.

MosJan · January 26, 2013

Ալիևին հեռացրել են Մեխիկոյի կենտրոնից

26 հունվարի 2013 - 13:48 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Մեխիկոյի կենտրոնական փողոցի զբոսայգում տեղակայված Ադրբեջանի նախկին նախագահ Հեյդար Ալիևի հուշարձանը այս գիշեր տեղափոխվել է այլ վայր քաղաքի սահմաններում

Ալիևի հուշարձանը տեղադրվել էր 2012թ. օգոստոսին Բարեկամության զբոսայգում, այն կանգնեցվել է ադրբեջանական կողմի միջոցներով: Ինչպես ավելի վաղ հայտարարել էր քաղաքապետ Միգել Անխել Մանսերան, հուշարձանը կտեղափովի Մեխիկոյի քաղաքապետարանի միջոցներով: Տեղափոխման պաշտոնական պատճառ է նշվում քաղաքաշինական նորմերի խախտումը:

Տեղափոխման աշխատանքների ժամանակ վայրը հսկում էին 200 ոստիկաններ, փակ էր երթևեկությունը մի շարք հարակից փողոցներով:

Պաշտոնական տեղեկություններ այն մասին, թե ուր է տեղափոխվում Ալիևի հուշարձանը, դեռ չկա: Սակայն, ավելի վաղ Մեքսիկայում Ադրբեջանի դեսպան Իլգար Մուխտարովը հայտնել էր «ՌԻԱ Նովոստի» գործակալությանը, որ կառավարության հետ նախնական պայմանավորվածություն է ձեռք բերվել այն մասին, որ քաղաքի սահմանում Ադրբեջանին շենք կտրամադրվի մշակութային կենտրոն բացելու համար, ուր էլ կտեղափոխվի հուշարձանը, հայտնում է ՌԻԱ Նովոստին:

Մեխիկոյի քաղաքապետ Միգել Անխել Մանսերան հայտարարել էր, որ քաղաքային իշխանությունները քաղաքի կենտրոնից կտեղափոխեն Ադրբեջանի նախկին նախագահ Հեյդար Ալիևի հուշարձանը: Հունվարի կեսին Մեքսիկայի դաշնային վարչական դատարանը մերժել է ադրբեջանական դեսպանատան բողոքը, որը փորձում էր հասնել նրան, որպեսզի Հեյդար Ալիևի հուշարձանը չապամոնտաժվի: Այս մասին գրում է Cronica-ն:

Հուշարձանը նախորդ ամռանը տեղադրվել է Մեխիկոյի կենտրոնական պուրակում: Ընդ որում, հաղորդվում է, որ ադրբեջանական կողմը պուրակի վերակառուցման համար ներդրել է 5 մլն դոլար:

Մեքսիկական իշխանությունների՝ Ադրբեջանի երրորդ նախագահի հուշարձանի տեղադրման որոշումը քննադատվել է իրավապաշտպանների կողմից:

Ինչպես հաղորդում է Բի-բի-սին, նոյեմբերի վերջին փորձագիտական հնաձնաժողովը խորհուրդ է տվել քաղաքային իշխանություններին Հեյդար Ալիևի հուշարձանը կենտրոնական պուրակից տեղափոխել մեկ այլ վայր: Փորձագետները եկել են այն եզրակացության, որ հուշարձանը ներդաշնակ չէ Մահաթմա Գանդիի, Աբրահամ Լինքոլնի և Մեքսիկայի ազգային հերոսների հուշարձանների հետ: Քաղաքային իշխանություններն առայժմ վերջնական որոշում չեն կայացարել:

Ինչպես փոխանցում է ABC.az-ը, ադրբեջանական դեսպանատունը դեմ է հանդես եկել Ալիևի հուշարձանի ապամոնտաժմանը: «Եթե հուշարձանը հեռացվի, ապա դա անկասկած կհանգեցնի Մեքսիկայի և Ադրբեջանի հարաբերությունների վատացմանը, ներդրումներ չեն իրականացվի և ծայրահեղ դեպքում դեսպանատունը կփակվի»,-նախազգուշացրել է Ադրբեջանի դեսպան Իլգար Մուխտարովը:

Շրջանային դատարանը 2012թ նոյեմբերին, դիտարկելով հուշարձանի ապամոնտաժումն արգելող հայցը, որոշում է կայացրել մերժել այն: Նմանատիպ որոշում է կայացրել նաև Դաշնային վարչական դատարանը հունվարի 9-ին:

MosJan · January 26, 2013

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/143/075/photo/143075.jpg

MosJan · January 26, 2013

Azeri ex-president Aliyev’s statue removed from Mexico City center

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/143/075/photo/143075.jpg

January 26, 2013 - 14:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A life-size bronze statue of Azerbaijan's former president Heydar Aliyev was removed from Mexico City’s main avenue to suburbs early Saturday, January 26 morning.

In November, an advisory commission issued a recommendation to remove the statue. The rights groups said they were offended by a monument of “dictator” erected in one of the busiest areas in the city.

Azerbaijan has paid around $5 million for the renovation of part of Chapultepec Park, where the statue is was installed, and other public works.

The protesters have objected Aliyev’s statue saying that he was an authoritarian figure, who led Azerbaijan first as Communist Party boss during Soviet times and then as president from 1993 until his death in 2003.

Baku warned earlier of damage to Azerbaijan's relations with Mexico if the statue is removed, including the potential cuts to Azerbaijani investments in Mexico.

MosJan · January 28, 2013

Heydar Aliyev Statue Removed from Mexico City Central Park

http://massispost.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/heydaraliyev.jpg

MEXICO CITY — Statue of Azerbaijan’s ex-president Heydar Aliyev that has been erected along a main boulevard of the Mexican capital has been removed from the place in thAbout 400 riot police cordoned off the vicinity of Friendship Park on Paseo de la Reforma, Noticieros Televisa reported.

The place where the bronze statue will be permanently relocated is still unknown.

The monument was placed in a park the center of Mexico City last summer. Azerbaijani side reportedly spent about five millions for renovation of the park.

Earlier mayor of Mexico City Miguel Angel Mancera stated that the municipality would cover the removal expenses. The official cause of the removal the city authorities say is the violation of construction norms.

Mexico City’s municipality had set up a commission to consider the issue of removing the monument which aroused indignation of capital’s residents.

The Commission recommended the government to transfer the monument to another place. In response Azerbaijan warned to stop investments in Mexico.

On January 22 the municipality announced it would relocate the monument. They also decided to change the text on the plaque of the Khojalu memorial removing the word “genocide.”

Yervant1 · January 31, 2013

Monumental Mistakes

How Azerbaijan botched its effort to win friends and influence people

in Mexico City

Slate.com

Wednesday,

Jan. 30, 2013

By Joshua Kucera

Last August, a statue of Heydar Aliyev, who ruled Azerbaijan from 1993

to 2003, was erected along Mexico City's grand Paseo de la Reforma, in

a park renamed the `Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Park.' Around the

same time, the Azerbaijani government built a second monument in a

different park in memory of Azeri villagers killed by Armenian forces

in 1992; the plaque in front of the statue refers to the massacre as a

`genocide.' Azerbaijan had renovated both public spaces at a cost of

about $5.4 million.

The inauguration of the Aliyev monument was attended by several top

Mexican government officials, including the mayor. But the Mexican

public, then engrossed in a presidential election campaign, paid

little attention to a statue of a man who once led a country 8,000

miles away.

When the nouveau riche attempt to use their money to buy respect and

prestige, it often backfires. Such was the case of the Azerbaijani

government's effort to honor its former president. Because once Mexico

City residents became aware of the statue that had risen in their

midst, they saw the effort for what it was: an authoritarian

government clumsily trying to buy influence and whitewash the legacy

of a dictator.

This past weekend it ended in humiliation for Azerbaijan, when city

workers, guarded by 200 police in riot gear, loaded the monument onto

a flatbed truck in the middle of the night and carted it away. `Now

everybody talks about Azerbaijan, but in a bad way,' said Guillermo

Osorno, a prominent journalist and member of a government commission

appointed to study the monuments.

Aliyev's legacy is a complex one. Most Azeris credit him with leading

their country, an oil-rich ex-Soviet republic wedged in between Russia

and Iran, out of a deep crisis in the 1990s, when Azerbaijan's economy

collapsed and the country lost a disastrous war with Armenia. Aliyev's

steady hand put the country on a path to prosperity; the country

enjoyed double-digit GDP growth for more than a decade. But he was

also a ruthless dictator, true to his roots as a former head of Soviet

Azerbaijan's KGB.

Azerbaijan is now led by Aliyev's son, Ilham, who has aggressively

built up a cult of personality to his father. Heydar Aliyev's presence

is ubiquitous in Azerbaijan. Posters and billboards of the

ex-president look down at citizens everywhere, every city has a major

street named after him, and there are more than 60 museums and

cultural centers across the country that bear his name. In 2008, Baku

State University created a `Department of Aliyev Studies.'

But the internationalization of his cult of personality is a newer

development. Over the last several years, Azerbaijan has arranged for

at least 14 statues of Aliyev to be erected around the world, mainly

in the Middle East and the former communist world. Mexico City's was

the one farthest away from Azerbaijan and the first in the Western

hemisphere.

Along with the Aliyev cult of personality, Azerbaijan also has been

trying to advance its own interpretation of disputed recent

history. In particular, it has sought international recognition of the

1992 massacre of hundreds of Azeri civilians in the village of Khojaly

as a genocide. While certainly a war crime, the massacre-by official

Azerbaijani accounts, 485 were killed=80'falls several orders of

magnitude short of what is conventionally considered an attempt to

wipe out an entire people. The massacre took place during the war over

the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan ultimately lost

and the recapture of which is now the country's top priority. So the

real aim of the Khojaly campaign appears to be a weakening of

Armenia's greatest claim to moral authority: its own genocide, when

between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman

forces in 1915.

Until recently, Azerbaijan had been making good progress in advancing

its agenda in Mexico. Mexico's Senate in 2011 passed a resolution

calling Khojaly a `genocide,' one of only a handful of governments in

the world to do so. (Mexico has never formally recognized the events

of 1915 as such.) The same year, Mexico City's Museum of Memory and

Tolerance hosted an event commemorating Khojaly.

But Azerbaijan seems to have overreached with the Aliyev statue. The

monument initially drew little notice=80'as early as April, four

months before it was erected, the Azerbaijani Embassy said it wanted a

monument to Aliyev in the park. But the controversy only began in

early September, a couple of weeks after the statue's inauguration.

Osorno was tipped off by members of the park council who were unhappy

that the city government had pushed the statue through over their

objections. A few minutes of research led him to the New York Times

obituary for Aliyev, which he quoted in his first column about the

statue:

His authoritarian rule was characterized by contradictory

trends. While it undoubtedly brought a measure of stability to

Azerbaijan, political life remained turbulent, with frequent reports

of coup and assassination attempts against Mr. Aliyev and equally

frequent complaints by his opponents about electoral malpractice,

human rights abuses and a muzzled press.

Mexico City's intelligentsia is sensitive to such practices, having

only recently emerged from a decades-long dictatorship

itself. Moreover, Mexico's capital is a liberal oasis; in 2009 it

legalized gay marriage.

`This is a city that prides itself on its liberty, and we don't like

the symbolism of having Heydar Aliyev in Chapultepec,' he said,

referring to the park. `The monument is appalling-in bad taste and in

a very strategic position,' on Mexico City's stateliest avenue, near

statues of Gandhi and Winston Churchill.

The controversy grew and soon became a cause célèbre among the city's

chattering classes, leading to a steady stream of opinion articles and

talk-radio debates. A three-member commission of prominent

intellectuals (Osorno being one) was formed to study the matter and in

November issued recommendations to remove the Aliyev statue and to

change the wording on the Khojaly monument from `genocide' to

`massacre.'

Azerbaijan's ambassador to Mexico, Ilgar Mukhtarov, tried to defend

the statue =80' unsuccessfully. In an interview, Mukhtarov claimed

that the silent majority of Mexicans was behind him, though he wasn't

able to provide evidence of supporters other than the handful of

Azerbaijani expats living there. He claimed that the controversy was

ginned up by the country's Armenian community, a standard Azerbaijani

government trope. (Mexico's Armenian community is tiny and diffuse but

well-connected: The former rector of the country's top university,

Jose Sarukhan Kermez, is of Armenian descent and has campaigned

against the statue. Still, his role was hardly decisive.) He also

claimed that the city of Cleveland has a Heydar Aliyev park (not true)

and acknowledged that Aliyev's record wasn't perfect, but neither was

that of many Mexican presidents who have statues in the city. Aliyev

`is our national hero, not Mexico's, and it's our right to recognize

our national leader,' Mukhtarov told me.

Azerbaijan's most convincing argument is that a deal is a deal: It's

not Azerbaijan's fault that Mexicans didn't pay attention to the

statue until after it was built. During my meeting with him, Mukhtarov

said that he would not accept any outcome other than the statue

staying where it was, and if Mexico City were to remove the monument,

the embassy would take the matter to an `international court.' But

since the statue was removed early Sunday morning, he seems to have

softened his stance, telling the Russian press that he is working with

the city to establish an Azeri cultural center, which would be the new

home of the statue. The fate of the Khojaly `genocide' memorial is

still an open question.

Today, Aliyev's monument sits in a warehouse in Mexico City's

Department of Housing and Urban Development. A Web video

(http://www.eluniversaltv.com.mx/detalle.php?d=34769) of the statue's

removal shows it being unloaded into a dirt yard, strewn with debris

and stacks of bricks. It's an ignominious fate for the hero of a

nation.

Joshua Kucera is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.

Yervant1 · February 6, 2013

18:16 06/02/2013 » Society

‘‘Animal Politico’’: In Mexico new conflict is brewing with Azerbaijan in connection with installation of another monument

In the Mexican state of Guerrero new conflict is brewing with government of Azerbaijan similar to the conflict concerning the monument of Heydar Aliyev in Mexico City, the Mexican news site Animal Politico reports.

“According to documents the “Animal Politico” holds, the Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre agreed to establish famous Azerbaijani poet Nizami Gyanjev’s monument in Acapulco,” the site reports.

It says that it is stated in the letter signed by the Ambassador of Azerbaijan Ilgar Muhtarov on May 17, in 2012.

Monument to Heydar Aliyev which was installed in one of the central parks of Mexico City in August 2012 was removed by the decision of the city authorities in late January.

Azerbaijan has spent about $ 5 million on the reconstruction of two parks in Mexico City, after which it was allowed to install a monument there. Several protests were held in the capital of Mexico during which the participants claimed they did not want to see the statue of a dictator, who had ruled thousands of miles away from their country, next to the monuments of their heroes.

As a result, a special commission was formed which recommended Mexico City to deinstall the statue of the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, and noted that the government made a mistake by taking money and allowing a foreign government to decide to which political and historical figures should be rendered homage in Mexican capital.

In mid-January, Foreign Minister of Mexico gave absolute freedom to the Government of Mexico City to make a decision concerning Aliyev’s controversial statue. The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Mexico Ilgar Mukhtarov said that the Embassy has decided to appeal to international organizations to get solution to the problem he even threatened to break relations with the countries. In mid-January the Legislative Assembly of Mexico City turned to the government of the city with an appeal to deinstall the statue.

At the end of September 2012, in Canada, bust of Heydar Aliyev, installed a year ago, was dismantled too, as the authorities of the Niagara city considered it to be a statue of a dictator.

Source: Panorama.am

Harut · February 7, 2013

in a country where "f your president" is a major curse phrase, what do you expect...

Yervant1 · February 7, 2013

16:21 07/02/2013 » Society

In Turkish textbooks Heydar Aliyev is presented as ‘‘dictator’’ alongside with Saddam Hussein and Pinochet

Former President of Azerbaijan, “National leader” Heydar Aliyev is presented as an example of a modern dictator alongside with Saddam Hussein and Pinochet in the textbooks of “Constitutional Law” for the law students of Turkish universities.

According to Azadlyg, photos have appeared in the social networks, where the pages of the textbook are clearly visible. There under the definition of autocrat the photo of Heydar Aliev is depicted who is also called a “dictator” just like Saddam Hussein and Pinochet.

“During the dictatorship all the functions of the executive and judicial powers are in the hands of one person. Dictators, in contrast to the autocrats, do not inherit the power or get it in the result of elections, but they get it in a result of using the unstable and difficult condition that exists in the country. Dictators in the right wing may be known as the Nazis or National Socialists, and in the left wing may be known as communists. Today dictators can rely on a certain ideology. However, these individuals who control the power and sovereignty of the state form the controlling system, not compatible with humanity. Examples: Saddam Hussein, Heydar Aliyev, Pinochet…” the Turkish textbook says.

Source: Panorama.am

Yervant1 · February 7, 2013

ON SECOND THOUGHT, MAYBE ACCEPTING $5 MILLION TO ERECT A STATUE OF A FOREIGN DICTATOR'S DAD ISN'T SUCH A GREAT IDEA

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/01/second-thought-maybe-accepting-5-million-erect-statue-foreign-dictators-dad-isnt-such-great-idea/4530/

HENRY GRABARJAN 30, 2013

Reuters

He's the deceased dictator of Azerbaijan. She's the most beautiful

street in Mexico City. Not even $5 million in oil money could keep

them together.

After five tumultuous months, a bronze likeness of Heydar Aliyev,

the former KGB officer who ruled Azerbaijan with an iron fist from

1993 to 2003, was quietly removed from the Paseo de la Reforma in

Mexico City earlier this week.

Aliyev's ousting, which occurred early on Saturday morning behind a

phalanx of 300 riot police, was a victory for Mexican protesters who

had decried the Azeri leader's reputation on human rights and freedom

of the press. For the Mexico City government, it was an embarrassing

conclusion to a controversial deal that put the city's monumental

space up for sale.

But the most enthusiastic reaction may have come from within

Azerbaijan, where monuments to the former president are as common

an element of the urban landscape as mailboxes and lampposts, and

freedom of expression is tightly restricted.

An incomplete map of statues of Heyder Aliyev in this country of nine

million, via Wikimedia Commons.

On Facebook and Twitter, Azeris widely shared photos of Mexican

contractors removing the 12-foot-tall statue. "It was exciting news

for the democratic portion of society," Azeri journalist and translator

Ismayil Jabrayilov writes in an email.

Even 8,000 miles away, the image of the dictator's statue hoisted

(if not quite tumbling) down brought back memories of the fall of the

Soviet Union. "From the comments on the photos you can see how people

are recalling how the statues of Stalin, Lenin were brought down,"

says Jabrayilov. "They wish to see the destruction of Aliyev's statues

in Azerbaijan as well."

Khadija Ismayilova, the country's premier investigative journalist,

echoed those thoughts. "It was perceived as a 'start of fall of the

dictatorship's movement,'" she tells me. "You could see wishes to

see those scenes in Baku."

The Azeri satirist Zamin Haci, sharing the Mexican news report on his

Facebook page, recommended watching three times a day for good health.

There were no reports of the incident on the main English-language

Azeri news sites. Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index

ranks Azerbaijan 162nd out of 179 countries -- lower than Pakistan,

Afghanistan, and Iraq. Current president Ilham Aliyev, Heyder's son

and successor, was named "Corruption's Person of the Year," by the

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, based in Sarajevo

and Bucharest.

The younger Aliyev has been eager to export his father's cult of

personality. He has commissioned monuments of filial devotion in

Kiev, Tblisi, Belgrade and a handful of other countries. In Istanbul,

Aliyev's likeness is the centerpiece of an eponymous park.

Parque del Amistad, Mexico City, in happier times. (Reuters)

When the opportunity arose to secure a place on the magnificent

Paseo de la Reforma, Ilgar Mukhtarov, Azeri ambassador to Mexico,

jumped to commit funding. "I was delighted because I was looking for

a place to show off my country," he said at the opening ceremony of

"Friendship Park: Mexico-Azerbaijan" in August, standing alongside

Mexico City mayor Marcelo Ebrard.

This is another source of frustration to those watching from

Azerbaijan, to whom the younger Aliyev's program to increase the elder

Aliyev's profile is a waste of government money. "The people are also

angered by the fact that so much money is spent for these statues,"

Jabrayilov explains. "The government could have spent this money

on education."

"Who knows how many students could have studied abroad with this amount

of money?" asked one Facebook commenter. "It would be better to send

100 students to study abroad instead of erecting this monument,"

wrote another.

At least one hundred. Azerbaijan spent nearly $6 million on various

capital improvements around Mexico City alone, which, according to

Ebrard, is more than any of the other 180 diplomatic missions or 45

NGOs have committed toward public space in the capital.

Ebrard, the ambitious, left-leaning mayor of the Mexican capital who

is said to be mulling a run for president, thought he had pioneered a

clever method to pay for much-needed improvements in public parks. The

city had recently accepted a similar proposal from Vietnam that

incorporates a statue of Ho Chi Minh. At the ceremony in August,

Ebrard lauded Aliyev as a "great political leader, a statesman."

Residents and voices in the Mexican media, including the influential

Grupo de Cien, a union of artists and intellectuals, felt differently.

Homero Aridjis, the founder of Grupo de Cien, told the L.A. Times in

October that the presence of the statue, not far from likenesses of

Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Mahatma Gandhi, was insulting.

"We have enough bad symbols here in Mexico," he told the newspaper.

"We don't need to import them from outside."

Another community activist said the gesture was akin to placing a

statue of Idi Amin on the National Mall. The U.S. ambassador had a

different comparison for the Aliyevs, revealed in the Wikileaks cable

dump: the Corleone family, of Godfather fame.

The beginning of the end for Heydar Aliyev on the Paseo de la Reforma.

The marble outline of Azerbaijan remains. (Reuters)

Facing outspoken criticism, Ebrard soon changed his tune. "This is

a liberal city; this is a city which has nothing to do with anything

that could be called a dictatorship," he told the New York Times in

November. "We believe in democracy and human rights." He admitted his

government should have considered the deal more thoroughly, and said

it was a "mistake."

Mukhtarov, meanwhile, blamed the controversy on the "strong Armenian

lobby." Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at war since 1991 over a

piece of land called Nagorno-Karabakh. This is true to form, says

Khadija Ismayilova. "The government here always blames its failures

with something related to a foreign enemy," she says.

Naturally, the Azeris were not pleased when the Distrito Federal

finally lifted the former president onto a flatbed truck early

on Saturday morning, following the recommendation of an advisory

commision and in accordance with a City Council decision. Mexico City

had signed an agreement to keep the statue in that spot for 99 years;

in reality, it lasted less than six months.

There were reports that the former Soviet republic had threatened to

cut off foreign investment in Mexico, which totals over $4 billion,

or even close its embassy in the Mexican capital.

But the only news out of Azerbaijan since the statue was removed is

the announcement, via Ambassador Mukhtarov, that Mexico had suggested

creating an "Azerbaijani Cultural Center." "Our embassy is currently

negotiating with the city leadership of Mexico over the issue,"

News.Az reported. Mexican officials had previously suggested an

Azerbaijani cultural center as a new, indoor home for the statue.

In the meantime, the statue of Heydar Aliyev will await a permanent

home in a warehouse at the Office of Urban Development. The DF plans

to relocate the statue to another public place once the fuss has died

down -- presumably one of lesser visibility.

Jose Ramon Amieva, the legal director of Mexico City's government, said

he has not yet received a request for reimbursement from Azerbaijan.

Yervant1 · February 7, 2013

HEYDAR HADRAT

Igor Muradyan

Wednesday, 06 February 2013, 11:17

Heydar Aliyev is said to be canonized in Azerbaijan. Eventually, in

the course of time the Aliyev family will be declared "holy

family". I remember a meeting with a prominent member of the

Azerbaijani opposition Rasul Guliyev, ex-speaker of Azerbaijan,

political emigrant, legitimate millionaire and sponsor of many

political parties in Azerbaijan. The meeting was in Washington, at

Johns Hopkins University, and was organized by Charles Fairbanks,

then-Director of Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins

University. Rasul Guliyev was known to be looking for contacts with

Armenian organizations in the U.S., and at that time he came from New

York to meet with an Armenian organization in Washington. He asked

me, "You used to live in Baku. What do you think about Heydar

Aliyev? It is interesting to know the opinion of an Armenian expert

who knows the truth about Azerbaijan at different stages of H.

Aliyev's activities." I answered, "Whatever Heydar Aliyev has ever

done was complete trickery. He tried to mislead his leadership at KGB

about "outstanding" achievements with regards to Iran and Iraqi

Kurdistan. He created a fake economy during Brezhnev's tenure. He

set up a false social-cultural model in Azerbaijan. Actually, he

misled the Azerbaijani people by promises of military success in the

Karabakh war. He presented international oil projects as a means of

resolving the Karabakh issue and achieving prosperity." R. Guliev

was very excited and begged not to use these opinions in

publications, as he himself would like to use those thoughts.

According to him, he had just heard what he had always felt but could

not utter it in such a laconic way." I never learned whether Guliyev

used these "theses". But Heydar Aliyev has always used the method

of misleading everyone all through his tenure. The peak of this

family business called trickery will be the "combat readiness" of

the armed forces of Azerbaijan. All that is left for Azeri people is

to believe that pilgrimage to Heydar- Hadrat tomb will cure illnesses

and will bring them prosperity.

http://www.lragir.am/index.php/eng/0/comments/view/28826

Yervant1 · February 8, 2013

16:35 08/02/2013 » Society

Expert: Azerbaijan invests in economy of countries that agree to install monument to Heydar Aliyev

During the forthcoming visit of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in Baku, a visit which the Azerbaijani side considers as a “very important” one, an agreement is to be signed on “Friendship and Strategic Partnership,” the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Eldar Hasanov told Moderator.az. The ambassador also said that in honor to the Serbian-Azerbaijani friendship a monument to the famous Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla will be installed in Baku.

As the Faktxeber.com reports, Azerbaijan also gave Serbia a loan of 308 million Euros, for a period of 25 years at 4% per annum for the construction of a road. The site also reminds that in 2011, in one of the parks in Belgrade a monument that was of three meters height was installed to the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev. At the opening ceremony of the monument was present also the current President Ilham Aliyev. Reconstruction of the park cost the Azerbaijani budget 2 million dollars. During the visit of Serbian President solemn opening ceremony of a park will be held where Nikola Tesla’s monument is to be installed.

The head of the research center “Atlas” Elkhan Shahinoglu considers multimillion investments of Azerbaijan in Serbian economy in return for political support, inappropriate. According to him, Azerbaijan invests in the economy of countries which agree to install a monument to Heydar Aliyev. “This kind of exchange of monuments can cause problems in Serbia as well, just like it happened in Mexico where around $ 5 million was spent over the reconstruction of the park, but still, monument to Heydar Aliyev was removed. Who will return us the money, no one knows,” the expert said.

Source: Panorama.am

Yervant1 · February 12, 2013

TURKISH EXPERTS ACCUSE HEYDAR ALIYEV IN MURDERING EX-PRESIDENT OF TURKEY

17:08 11/02/2013

Shocking information was announced about the last Azerbaijani President

Heydar Aliyev on the Turkish TV channel "Ulke TV". On February 7, in

the program "Special Edition", the issue concerning the poisoning of

the dead Turkish President Turgut Ozal was discussed. You can watch

the video here.

According to Azadlyg writer Omer Ozkaya says that Turgut Ozal was

poisoned by mixing poison with the lemonade which he got from the

hands of the "trusted person in the Azerbaijani leadership." As a

result of inquiry Ozkaya came to the conclusion that that person

was Heydar Aliyev. The evidence for this hypothesis the Turkish side

received from the intelligence services of Bulgaria from whom it had

actually obtained the poison.

According to Turkish expert, after having transferred this information,

the Bulgarian secret service agent was found dead.

According to the official version, he committed suicide, but the

examination showed that he was killed.

Azerbaijani authorities hastened to refute the information that Turgut

Ozal was poisoned in Baku by Heydar Aliyev. Allegedly, Aliyev was

not in Baku during this time, as far as in 1992 he was the head of

the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

Recently it was reported that in the textbook of "Constitutional Law"

for law students of Turkish universities the former president of

Azerbaijan, "National leader" Heydar Aliyev is brought as an example

of a modern dictator in the same line with Saddam Hussein and Pinochet.

Source: Panorama.am

MosJan · February 12, 2013

wow

MosJan · February 19, 2013

Ադրբեջանի ցնցող բացահայտումը. փողով չի կարելի բոլորին գնել

01:21, 20 փետրվարի, 2013

Հարութ Սասունյան

«Կալիֆորնիա Կուրիեր» թերթի հրատարակիչ և խմբագիր

Փողի միջոցով կարելի է որոշ խնդիրներ լուծել, սակայն՝ ոչ բոլորը: Երբեմն էլ այն կարող է հակառակ ազդեցությունն ունենալ:

Ադրբեջանը հրաշալի օրինակ է վիթխարի հարստություն դիզած մի երկրի, որն իր միլիարդավոր նավթադոլարներն օգտագործում է օտարերկրյա քաղաքական գործիչներին և զանազան ասպարեզների մարդկանց կաշառելու համար՝ փորձելով բարելավել իր վատ համբավն ամբողջ աշխարհում: Ի դեպ, «խավիարի դիվանագիտություն» եզրույթը հատուկ հորինվել է բնութագրելու համար այն «բարիքները», որոնք ադրբեջանի պաշտոնատարները կանոնավորապես և առատաձեռնորեն բաժանում են՝ իրենց լիրբ նպատակներին հասնելու համար:

Օրինակ՝ Բաքուն հինգ միլիոն դոլար հատկացրեց Մեխիկո քաղաքի զբոսայգին վերանորոգելու համար, միայն մի պայմանով, որ Հեյդար Ալիևի արձանը տեղադրվի այդ նշանավոր վայրում: Սակայն, երբ մեքսիկացի ակտիվիստներն իմացան այս անվայել գործարքի մասին, բռնակալի արձանն ապամոնտաժվեց և առանց ձևականությունների շպրտվեց պահեստը:

Ադրբեջանի պաշտոնատարները սկսում են հասկանալ, որ ոչ բոլորին կարելի է գնել, և դեռ կան շատ պատվարժան մարդիկ այս աշխարհում, որոնք անկաշառ են: Այդ մարդկանցից մեկն էլ Պետեր Սավոդնիկն է՝ մի անբասիր ազնվության տեր անձնավորություն «Նյու Յորք Թայմս» թերթից: Այս ամսվա սկզբին, ադրբեջանցի մուլտիմիլիարդատեր Իբրահիմ Իբրահիմովն ամերիկացի լրագրողին հրավիրել էր Բաքու, որպեսզի «Նյու Յորք Թայմս»-ում գովասանքի խոսքեր գրեր իր ընդարձակ շինարարական ծրագրի մասին:

Ամենևին չտպավորվելով նորահարուստ ադրբեջանցի օլիգարխի շռայլություններից, Սավոդնիկը ջախջախիչ հոդված էր գրել՝ ծաղրելով Իբրահիմովի անհեթեթ պատրանքը: Ահա համառոտ հատվածներ թղթակցի ծավալուն հոդվածից.

Իբրահիմովը նախատեսում է «խեցգետնու տեսք ունեցող մի լայնատարած շինություն կառուցել Կասպից ծովում՝ «Khazar Islands» անվամբ, որը բաղկանալու է 55 արհեստական կղզիներից՝ հազարավոր բնակարաններից, առնվազն ութ հյուրանոցից, «Ֆորմուլա 1» վազքուղով, նավասպորտային ակումբով, օդանավակայանով և աշխարհի ամենաբարձր՝ «Ադրբեջանի աշտարակ» շենքով, որի բարձրությունը կկազմի 1050 մետր: Երբ ամբողջ համալիրը կառուցվի … 800 հազար մարդ կապրի «Khazar Islands»-ում, այնտեղ նաև կլինեն հյուրանոցային սենյակներ մյուս 200 հազարի համար ... Այն կարժենա մոտ 100 միլիարդ դոլար»:

Սավոդնիկը հայտնում է, որ Բաքու ժամանելուց մեկ օր առաջ, Իբրահիմովի ներկայացուցիչը եկել էր Մոսկվա, որպեսզի անձամբ իրեն հանձնի «Khazar Islands» նախագծի մասին գիրք և DVD-սկավառակ: Բաքվում լրագրողն ապշել էր օլիգարխի շռայլ ապրելակերպից. «այնպես էր բազմել սև Ռոլս Ռոյսի հետևի նստատեղին, կարծես այն սլանում էր կառուցվելիք կղզեխմբի թիվ մեկ կղզու վրայով: Նրա 23-ամյա օգնական Նիգյար Հուսեյնլին նստած էր առջևում, սև-սպիտակ ծաղկանախշերով կիսաշրջազգեստով, սև զուգագուլպաներով և սև ուղղանկյունաձև ակնոցով: Թվում էր, որ նա անընդհատ անհասկանալիորեն մտահոգված էր: Նա չափից շատ օծանելիք էր օգտագործել, որն, ինչպես ինքն ասաց՝ բերվել էր Իտալիայից: «Երբ պարոն Իբրահիմովն Ադրբեջանում է լինում», ասաց Հուսեյնլին, «նա միշտ վարում է իր սև Ռոլս Ռոյսը: Իսկ Դուբայում նա մեկ ուրիշ կարմիրն ունի»:

Ցուցադրելով «կոկորդիլոսի կաշվից «Ստեֆանո Ռիչի» ապրանքանիշի կապույտ կոշիկները, որոնք համապատասխանում էին նրա «Ստեֆանո Ռիչի» կապույտ ջինսին, «Զիլլի» կապույտ պիջակին և «Զիլլի» կապույտ վերնաշապիկին», Իբրահիմովը Սավոդնիկին ասաց, որ «Ադրբեջանի աշտարակը» անկասկած հայտնվելու է Գինեսի ռեկորդների գրքում: Իբրահիմովն ասաց, որ եթե Սաուդյան Արաբիան կամ Արաբական Էմիրաթները, կամ որևէ մեկը, որևէ այլ վայրում փորձի ավելի մեծ շենք կառուցել, ապա նա էլ ավելի մեծն է կառուցելու:

Սավոդնիկը գրում է, որ ադրբեջանցի օլիգարխը Իլհամ Ալիևին բնութագրեց որպես շեֆերի շեֆ, «մեծ պաշտպան, աջակից և Ադրբեջանի ժողովրդի փրկչի որդի»: Երբ «Նյու Յորք Թայմս» թերթի թղթակիցը Իբրահիմովին հարցրեց «Ալիևի վարչակարգի այլ հատկանիշների՝ թափանցիկության, քաղաքացիական ազատությունների բացակայության և ընդդիմության ակտիվիստների կալանավորման մասին», նա տվեց բոլոր օլիգարխներին հատկանշական պատասխանը. «Ես քաղաքականության մասին ոչինչ չգիտեմ»:

Ամերիկացի լրագրողն իր հոդվածում անարգանքի խոսքեր էր գրել ոչ միայն Իբրահիմովի, այլ նաև նրա երկրի մասին. Ադրբեջանը «չի կառուցում այն, ինչ ամբողջ աշխարհին է պետք և չունի համաշխարհային ճանաչում ունեցող համալսարաններ: Սակայն, այն ունի նավթ»: Իր երկրորդ հոդվածում, Սավոդնիկը եզրափակում է. «Բոլոր ապակիների, պողպատի և նեոնային լույսերի ներքո, այն [Ադրբեջանը] շարունակում է մնալ որպես բռնատիրական երկիր»:

Առաջին անգամ չէ, որ «Նյու Յորք Թայմս»-ը Ադրբեջանին մերկացնող հոդված է հրապարակում: 2003 թ. հոկտեմբերի 27-ին թերթն իր խմբագրականում գրել էր. «Գործարար, «փլեյբոյ» և նորելուկ քաղաքական գործիչ Իլհամ Ալիևը գեղեցիկ նվեր ստացավ իր հորից՝ Ադրբեջան երկիրը: Հեյդար Ալիևը մշտապես, համարյա 34 տարի ղեկավարել էր Ադրբեջանը, սկզբում որպես Խորհրդային քաղբյուրոյի գործիչ, այնուհետև որպես բռնակալ: Երբ խիստ հիվանդության պատճառով նա այլևս չէր կարող շարունակել, նա օծեց որդուն՝ իր փոխարեն նախագահի պաշտոնում առաջադրվելու համար: Իլհամ Ալիևն օգտագործելով պետության բոլոր լիազորությունները, կեղծիքներով լի քարոզարշավ ծավալեց, իսկ այնուհետև տոնեց իր հաղթանակը՝ ձերբակալելով ընդդիմության մեծ մասը:

«Նյու Յորք Թայմս» թերթը եզրափակել էր իր խիստ քննադատական խմբագրականը հորդորելով Միացյալ Նահանգներին «հեռավորություն պահել նախագահ Ալիևից և խուսափել նավթային հարստությունների վրա բազմած բռնակալներին աջակցելու անհաջող պատմության կրկնությունից»: Ցավոք, այս նախազգուշացումն անուշադրության մատնվեց Միացյալ Նահանգների իրար հաջորդող վարչակազմերի կողմից:

Թարգմանությունը՝ Ռուզաննա Ավագյանի

MosJan · February 20, 2013

Azerbaijan’s Shocking Discovery: Money Can’t Buy Everyone!

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2013/02/23591.jpg 01:21, February 20, 2013

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Money may help solve some problems, but does not solve them all. And sometimes it backfires!

Azerbaijan is the perfect example of a filthy rich country using its billions of petrodollars to win over foreign politicians and individuals in all walks of life in an attempt to improve its shoddy image around the world. In fact, the term "caviar diplomacy" was specially coined to describe the "goodies" that Azeri officials regularly and generously distribute to achieve their sinister purposes.

For example, Baku paid $5 million to Mexico City to renovate a park on condition that the statue of former President Heydar Aliyev be displayed in that prominent location. After Mexican activists became aware of this unseemly deal, the dictator’s statue was dismantled and unceremoniously dumped in storage.

Azeri officials are finding out that not everyone can be bought and there still are some honorable people in this world who cannot be bribed! One such person with impeccable integrity is Peter Savodnik of the New York Times. Earlier this month, the American journalist was invited to Baku by Ibrahim Ibrahimov, an Azeri multi-billionaire, in order to get the New York Times to write a puff piece on his gargantuan construction project.

Unimpressed by the excesses of the nouveau riche Azeri oligarch, Savodnik wrote a scathing article ridiculing Ibrahimov’s grotesque vision. Here are brief excerpts from the reporter’s lengthy article:

Ibrahimov is planning to build "a sprawling, lobster-shaped development called Khazar Islands -- an archipelago of 55 artificial islands in the Caspian Sea with thousands of apartments, at least eight hotels, a Formula One racetrack, a yacht club, an airport and the tallest building on earth, Azerbaijan Tower, which will rise 3,445 feet. When the whole project is complete… 800,000 people will live at Khazar Islands, and there will be hotel rooms for another 200,000. …It will cost about $100 billion."

Savodnik reports that the day before he arrived in Azerbaijan, Ibrahimov’s representative flew to Moscow to hand-deliver a book and DVD on the Khazar Islands project. Once in Baku, the journalist was struck by the oligarch’s lavish lifestyle -- "sitting in the back seat of a black Rolls-Royce as it tore across island No. 1 of his soon-to-be built archipelago. Nigar Huseynli, his 23-year-old assistant, was sitting up front in a black and white floral-print skirt, black tights and rectangular black sunglasses. She seemed to be vaguely worried, always. She wore a great deal of perfume that, she said, came from Italy. ‘When he's in Azerbaijan,’Huseynli said, ‘Mr. Ibrahimov always drives in his black Rolls-Royce. In Dubai, he has a red one.’"

Sporting "blue Stefano Ricci crocodile-skin shoes that matched his blue Stefano Ricci jeans, blue Zilli jacket and blue Zilli button-down shirt," Ibrahimov told Savodnik that the Azerbaijan Tower would definitely be in Guinness World Records. If the Saudis or Emiratis or anyone anywhere tried to build a bigger building, Ibrahimov said he would then build an even bigger one!

Savodnik writes that the Azeri oligarch described Pres. Ilham Aliyev, the Boss of All Bosses, as "a great supporter, an ally, the son of the savior of the people of Azerbaijan." When the NY Times reporter asked Ibrahimov "about other features of his regime: the lack of transparency, the lack of civil liberties, the detention of opposition activists," his response was typical of all oligarchs: "I don't know anything about politics."

The American journalist boldly slammed both Ibrahimov and his country: Azerbaijan "builds nothing that the rest of the world wants and has no internationally recognized universities. It does, however, have oil." In a follow up article, Savodnik concluded: "Underneath all the glass and steel and neon lights, it [Azerbaijan] is still an authoritarian state."

This is not the first time The New York Times has published an exposé of Azerbaijan. In an October 27, 2003 editorial, the newspaper wrote: "Ilham Aliyev, businessman, playboy and novice politician, received a nice gift from his father -- the country of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev had ruled Azerbaijan almost continuously for 34 years, first as an agent of the Soviet Politburo and then as an autocrat in his own right. When he became too ill to continue, he anointed his son to run for president in his place. Ilham Aliyev ran a rigged campaign, using all the powers of the state, and then celebrated his victory by arresting most of the opposition."

The New York Times concluded its scathing editorial by urging the United States to keep Pres. Aliyev "at arm's length and avoid repeating the unfortunate history of supporting autocrats who sit atop oil riches." Regrettably, this warning went unheeded by successive US administrations.

Yervant1 · February 22, 2013

BRITISH MAGAZINE: ELECTION-RIGGING, TORTURE OF OPPONENTS, CORRUPTION MARKED FAMILY RULE OF BOTH HEYDAR AND HIS SON

17:48 21/02/2013 " SOCIETY

The Aliyev family has been having its way with the Azerbaijanis for

decades. Heydar Aliyev, the family patriarch, was a Communist Party

boss in the best of Stalinist traditions from the 1960s, and president

of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003. His son, Ilham Aliyev came out of

the security apparatus, which left him well positioned to take over

from his father, the New Internationalist says.

"Good contacts in the security apparatus have proved more important

than democratic credentials in much of former Soviet Asia. The

countries of the Caucasus, where Azerbaijan is perched on the western

shores of the Caspian Sea, must walk a thin line between Russia in

the north and the Islamic world further south, while at the same

time making nice with a Europe hungry for oil and gas, and a US

empire obsessed with geo-political positioning. Little wonder the

desires and needs of ordinary Azerbaijanis get lost in the shuffle,"

the paper says.

"Election-rigging, torture of opponents, widespread corruption and

ostentatious displays of power and wealth have marked the family rule

of both Heydar (who died in 2003) and his son," the magazine writes.

Ilham keeps on top of things today with a slight democratic veneer

for foreign consumption but the name of the game remains the same -

autocratic self-enrichment by a narrow ruling circle. Transparency

International rates Azerbaijan as the sixth most corrupt country in

the world.

"The name of the beneficent Aliyevs is everywhere. If you are lucky

enough to fly to the country's capital, Baku (a fine old city made

prosperous by petro-dollars), you get to land at Heydar Aliyev

International Airport. While in town you can attend a seminar at the

Heydar Aliyev Heritage Research Center. Then perhaps a visit to the

beautiful $250-million Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center. You get the

idea," the author says.

According to the author there is no need to go all the way to Baku

to pay homage to the dead dictator. The statues that are popping up

in capitals all over the world - Cairo, Belgrade, Mexico City - have

locals scratching their heads. "Who is this guy, anyway?" wonders

the author.

"Like so many oil-rich places, Azerbaijanis find oil a mixed blessing.

It means a high per-capita income and great potential, if equitable

development policies were in place. But in practice it has meant a

petro-state with all the trimmings: kleptocracy, inequality, boss-type

politics and environmental degradation," the article says.

According to the article At just over $5,000, the per-capita income is

high for the region, but there is much rural poverty beyond the glitz

of Baku and a large refugee problem (set officially at over 600,000)

- mostly as a result of the war with neighboring Armenia over the

disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ilham's rule, despite going through the motions of democracy, has

been marked by the absolute repression of anyone calling for the

real thing. Opposition parties have consistently failed to gain

any representation at all running against Aliyev's New Azerbaijan

Party and his 85-per-cent-plus votes in presidential elections are

typical dictator-style numbers. When the Arab Spring spilled over into

Azerbaijan there were no concessions from Ilham's government: just a

major clampdown, with some 400 protesters still languishing in prison.

Freedom of the press and internet are now severely restricted and

independent journalists are subject to beatings, imprisonment and

blackmail.

The article also notes that the Aliyevs have always been cunning

players of the nationalist card. In September 2012 Ilham officially

pardoned Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who had been convicted of murdering

a sleeping Armenian soldier on a 2004 NATO-sponsored language course

in Hungary. "Ilham got the Hungarians to send him home to serve out

the rest of his sentence and promptly granted him not only his freedom

but a promotion to Army Major, back pay and a new flat. Azerbaijani

nationalists were ecstatic, Armenians outraged and the Hungarian

government embarrassed over rumours of a large loan of Azerbaijani

oil money," New Internationalist says.

Source: Panorama.am

Yervant1 · February 22, 2013

BAKU PURSUES "CULTURAL DIPLOMACY" IN FRANCE

21:24, 21 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS: Baku has replaced it's "caviar

diplomacy", implemented in European structures, with "cultural

diplomacy". The 11th-12th century church of Saint Paterne in the

sleepy hamlet of Bellou-sur-Huisne in France's western region of

Normandy seems like a typical medieval-era edifice in this heavily

forested, agricultural area. But there is something special about

it: Heydar Aliyev Fund has allocated a vast sum of money for its

restoration. As reports Armenpress, freelance journalist covering the

Caucasus and Central Asia Regis Gente noted in his article published

in eurasianet.org web site.

Azerbaijan's arts and culture campaign dates back to 2007, when the

Heydar Aliyev Fund, which is run by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva,

granted an undisclosed sum to the Palace of Versailles for the

restoration of "works of art." Two years later, the Fund made a

40,000-euro ($53,776) gift for the restoration of three stained glass

windows in the northeastern city of Strasbourg's Cathedrale de Notre

Dame, a gem of Gothic architecture. Subsequently, there has been a

1-million-euro (over $1.34 million) gift to the Louvre, and a lavish

traveling cultural exhibition, among the initiatives that have been

made public.

"All this things are done by Aliyev's family in order to keep

international and local human rights activists silent and to create

the rating of "stable democracy in Islamic extremism chaos". Nowadays,

world's outstanding press writes about international initiations of

Tale Heydarov, son of the powerful Azerbaijani Minister of Emergency

Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov and son of Transport Minister. While

the source of money and "backgrounds" of entrepreneurs is not being

mentioned," writes the author of article.

Yervant1 · March 7, 2013

SHORTLY BEFORE DEATH OF HEYDAR ALIYEV AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES CARRIED OUT AN OPERATION "SUCCESSOR"

19:46 06/03/2013 " SOCIETY

According to some reports Hugo Chavez died nearly three months ago.

Ambassador of Panama to the Organization of American States Guillermo

Koches said last week that brain death was recorded with Chavez in

late December, according to the site "tvrain.ru".

The article notes that this is not the first time that the leader

of the state de facto dies before announcing the news to the people,

and brings the example of the death of the President of Azerbaijan,

Heydar Aliyev.

"No less favorable was the death of his father for Azerbaijani

President Ilham Aliyev. In 2003, shortly before the death of Heydar

Aliyev, the authorities carried out an operation "Successor," the

material says.

The author stresses that at first the President Heidar Aliyev who was

sick by that time was taken to Ankara, from where the news came that

he had appointed his son Ilham as Prime Minister. Then, Heydar Aliyev

was taken to Cleveland, where he was as long as presidential elections

were held. He himself was to participate in them, but according to

the official statements refused in favor of his son. During all this

time, the president did not appear in public. It was only after the

victory of President Ilham Aliyev that the news about his father's

death was announced.

Source: Panorama.am

Yervant1 · March 16, 2013

16:33 16/03/2013 » Society

Azerbaijan continues the tour of ‘‘stone diplomacy’’: they shelled out on monument in Montenegro this time

Azerbaijan continues the tour of "stone diplomacy": a monument to Azerbaijani poet Huseyn Javid will be installed in Montenegro, the representative of the Research Center for Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) Eliza-Ronald Hannon said at article in the side of “Azeri Report”.

"The Azerbaijani government will pay for the reconstruction of the Royal Park and for the area of the Street where the monument will be installed. Government of Montenegro refuses to present the cost of the project, but says that it is a multimillion project", says the article.

The author notes that the Azerbaijani government has establish monuments in many countries in recent years, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. However, these were monuments to former President Heydar Aliyev. "It seems that this is the new policy of the government: as soon as they receive a friendly attitude in any of European countries they immediately install there Heydar Aliyev’s statue. His monuments are everywhere in Azerbaijan, and now the tradition is exported. This is a continuation of the policy of creation of a cult to the personality of the late president," says the Azerbaijani blogger Ali Novruzov.

The article notes that one of such statues was in media’s limelight last month, when the Mexico government removed Aliyev’s monument in response to mass criticism. The protestors claimed that tributes of honor paid to authoritarian leader are offensive for them. "It seems that the fear of similar protests forced the Azerbaijani and Montenegrin governments to refuse installment of another statue of Aliyev in favor of a more suitable statue of a poet, Hussein,” says Ronald-Hannon.

As the author notes both Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham Aliyev, the current president of Azerbaijan, are known for their dictatorial style of government. Heydar Aliyev was a KGB general. He came to power in the Soviet era, and got rid of his opponents in the pretext of fighting against the corruption. "His son, Ilham, who inherited the presidency, was compared with the head of the Mafia by the U.S. diplomatic sources. During his ruling, Azerbaijan was criticized for abusing the human rights, including the practice of arrests of journalists and civil society activists,” the article says.

However, according to the author, the most blatant corruption is characteristic to Aliyev regime. Recent collaborative research OCCRP and "Radio LIberty" showed that the President of Azerbaijan and his clan have amassed considerable wealth through the privatization of state enterprises and secret ownership of stakes in major businesses of the country. In addition, the ruling clan owns property in the Czech Republic.

"Despite all this, the Azerbaijani authorities continue to promote their image of a wealthy and generous neighbor. Formation of the personality cult of Ilham in Azerbaijan, based on the model of his father, worked, and now the process enters into the virtual space,” the article says.

According to the professor of the Washington University, an expert on post-Soviet countries Katie Pierce, the opposition dominated on the online space for many years. "But two years ago, the youth wing of the ruling party decided to become more active in social media," she said.

Their actions became apparent after OCCRP called Aliyev "corrupt official of the year." Media organization and media, who wrote about it, were buried with about 6,000 e-mails as a part of an organized campaign.

The author also touched upon Azerbaijan's intention to establish a resort center in Montenegro. The project costs 4 billion Euros. According to the article, the fact that the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan won the tender remains questionable, as it did not correspond to the basic requirements of the tender. "It is easy to manipulate by money from Azerbaijan,” Milka Tadic said, adding that when the Montenegrin authorities need money, they often ask for Aliyev’s support.

Monument to Heydar Aliyev which was installed in one of the central parks of Mexico City in August 2012 caused bewilderment among the residents. Azerbaijan has spent about $ 5 million on the reconstruction of two parks in Mexico City, after which it was allowed to install a monument there. Several protests were held in the capital of Mexico during which the participants claimed they did not want to see the statue of a dictator, who had ruled thousands of miles away from their country, next to the monuments of their heroes. As a result, statue of the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev was deinstalled. At the end of September 2012, in Canada, bust of Heydar Aliyev, installed a year ago, was dismantled too, as the authorities of the Niagara city considered it to be a statue of a dictatorship.

Source: Panorama.am

Yervant1 · March 16, 2013

AZERI STATUE TOUR COMES TO MONTENEGO

http://hetq.am/eng/news/24495/azeri-statue-tour-comes-to-montenego.html

19:47, March 15, 2013

By Eliza Ronalds-Hannon

Azerbaijan continued its tour of stone-carved diplomacy this week

with an announcement it will fund and build a statue in Montenegro

of Javid Huseyn, an Azeri poet who was killed during Stalin's purges.

The statue will sit in King's Park, which the Azeri government is

also paying to rebuild along with the street on which it sits. The

Montenegrin government declined to give specifics regarding the cost

of the project, but said it would be a multi-million dollar endeavor.

The Azeri government has installed statues in many other countries in

recent years, including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. But all of

those statues were of the former president, Heydar Aliyev. "It seems

like a new policy of the government that whenever they get friendly

with some European nation, they immediately install Heydar Aliyev's

statue there," said Azeri blogger Ali Novruzov. "In Azerbaijan they

put his statue everywhere, and now they are exporting the tradition,"

he said. "It's a continuation of the domestic policy that created a

cult of personality around the late president."

One such statue made headlines last month, when Mexico City

authorities removed an Aliyev monument in response to widespread

criticism. Protesters said they were offended by the statue, which

honored a man known for his authoritarian rule and rampant human

rights abuses.

It was likely the fear of similar such protests that persuaded the

Azeri and Montenegrin governments to forego another Aliyev statue

this time, in favor of the more palatable poet Huseyn. "It would

be too much, even for Montenegro," said Milka Tadic, the editor of

Monenegro's The Monitor magazine. "The poet is easier to sell."

Both Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham, the current president of

Azerbaijan, are known for their absolutist styles and dictatorial

regimes. Heydar was a KGB general, and rose to leadership while

Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union. From his seat of power,

he purged his opponents under the guise of anti-corruption programs.

His son Ilham, who inherited the presidency, has been compared to a

mafia crime boss in US diplomatic cables. Under his rule, Azerbaijan

has been criticized for human rights abuses, including the practice

of routinely imprisoning journalists and civic activists. .

But even more endemic to Aliyev's regime is the government's blatant

corruption. Recent OCCRP/Radio Free Europe investigations have shown

the President and his family amassing important assets through the

privatization of state-owned industries and holding secret stakes in

the country's largest businesses. The ruling family has also heavily

invested in foreign properties in places like the Czech Republic,

a favorite destination for elites looking to hide cash.

Despite all this, the Azeri government presses forward with efforts to

promote its image as a wealthy and generous neighbor. In Azerbaijan,

the cult of personality Ilham has built using his father's model

appears to be working, and now it has moved to the virtual world. .

"For many years, the online space was dominated by opposition," said

Katy Pearce, a professor at Washington University and an expert on

technology in former Soviet nations. "But two years ago there was a

initiative by the youth wing of the ruling party to start being more

active on social media."

A skilled group of young, internet-savvy party members lead up online

campaigns. Their strategy is not sophisticated, Pearce said, but it

doesn't have to be; plenty of Azerbaijanis will join the campaign

willingly. Increasingly, young Azerbaijanis "make a rationalized

decision to go pro-government" when they see the new young elite

flaunting their lavish lifestyles online, through pictures of glam

ski trips and parties. "The key to the good life is to get in with

the pro-government youth, and once they get inside the inner circle,

they have to demonstrate their loyalty to the leadership," Pearce said.

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