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In the midst of the campaign for the persecution of Azerbaijani national writer Ekrem Eylisli, the author of the novel “Stone Dreams” which is about the massacres of Armenians, the Azerbaijani site minval.az acquired a video, where the former President of Azerbaijan “national leader” Heydar Aliyev is personally handing Ekrem Eylisli the state award of “Shokhrat” (5 December 1997).

This video has been removed from the site and the social network Youtube as soon as, on February 7, by the order of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev deprived Ekrem Eylisli of his title of “National Writer” and presidential scholarship for the novel “Stone Dreams”.

However, Panorama.am has the original video at its disposal, which can be viewed here.

Ekrem Eylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture.

After the publication of the novel, Eylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally next his home, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Eylisli in his Armenian origin, etc.